By Lindsey Fancher
Following in the footsteps of her two-time NFR qualifying father, Chad Hagan, Leesvillle, LA cowgirl, Madeline Hagan is continuing her family’s legacy in rodeo. She is the first young lady in the LHSRA to win both the queen title of Miss Louisiana High School Rodeo and reserve breakaway in 30 years at the 2022 state finals. Having been a part of rodeo since she was a baby, this double victory for the incoming Hick High School senior has been 17 years in the making. “I went to my first rodeo when I was six weeks old, it’s in my blood.” When Madeline was two, Chad left again for the rodeo road. He was able to call home when he made it to Texas, and it turns out little Madeline had not stopped crying for his entire trip. Being separated from his daughter is what made the Pro Rodeo cowboy declare that tour his last. He returned home, got “a big boy job”, and taught his daughter how to rope.
Madeline joined the LHSRA in sixth grade to begin her own rodeo career. While rodeoing, she would always see the rodeo queens and tell her mom, Mignette, how much she wanted to be like them. Although her parents had their hearts set on her staying in the roping box, last October Madeline set her heart on winning the Leesville Lions Club Rodeo Queen. When she won yet another title for Calcasieu High School Rodeo quickly thereafter, she set her sights on the state queen title. To this aspiration, Mignette told her daughter, “Give it all you got.”
That’s exactly what Madeline did in her preparations for the intensive pageant week this past May where she was judged on appearance, horsemanship, personality, knowledge, speech, interview, and modeling. She won the high school state queen title and all categories in the competition but appearance and modeling. Sitting 9th in the breakaway going into state finals after winning the queen title, Madeline approached her roping like it was the icing on the cake. “I had an overwhelming sense of peace that no matter the outcome, I would be okay with it. My dad said he knew I had it since I had the biggest smile on my face the whole time.” On her big bay, Hollywood, Madeline consistently placed second or third in her rounds. Now the reserve state champion, Madeline will not only be running for the National Queen title, but also the breakaway roping championship at High School Nationals in Gillette, WY.
Her cheering section will be that of her mom, dad, and sister, Saige (15). Mignette works as a drug representative for Sanofi while Chad, besides helping to put on LHSRA rodeos with Madeline’s Papaw, works for the LSU Ag center and as a local 4-H agent. Although Saige is more into softball than catching calves, she always makes time to cheer on her big sister. “Her support means a lot,” comments Madeline. Her cousin, Kase Busby, who is going to rodeo for Wharton College in Texas this Fall, is another one of Madeline’s biggest fans.
For the Nationals queen pageant, Madeline will have to leave a week earlier than the other rodeo contestants. There have been only two Louisiana High School Queens to win the national title and she hopes to be the third. “I’m going to work with what God gave me and try my hardest. I’m working hard to improve on my interviewing so I can be my genuine self and have a deeper connection with the judges.” The example that Madeline looks to is none other than 2022 Miss Rodeo America Hailey Frederiksen. “She is so down to earth, I feel like I know her just from her social media and I’ve never spoken to her, I’d like to have that effect as well.” Going onto the national stage, Madeline would like to educate about Louisiana’s incredible hospitality and diversity. She would also like to represent the first queen title she won, the Leesville Lions Camp Rodeo, a rodeo that raises money for a camp that helps disabled children. “When people meet me on the national stage” says Madeline, “I want them to know that Louisianans are a different breed.”
