story by Michele Toberer
From dusty boots to a shiny tiara, Staci Trehern, Miss Rodeo New Mexico 2016, has made it a mission to teach young girls to find the power and uniqueness they have inside. Staci grew up on her family’s cattle ranch, The Lazy Spear T, in northern New Mexico, with dreams filled of rodeo, ranching and the western way of life. Her parents were not involved in rodeo themselves; her father Glenn, a self-proclaimed “tennis-shoe cowboy” worked cattle on foot when he was not working as a fireman, and her mom, Elizabeth was more of a city-slicker transplanted to her in-law’s ranch, yet the fire and love for rodeo seems to have been born into Staci’s heart. Staci, the oldest of three girls, loved nothing more than helping with all aspects of working on the ranch as she grew up. She and her sisters, Amber, four years younger than Staci, and Brooke, seven years younger, carried that love of the western heritage into entering Little Britches rodeos in team roping, breakaway roping, barrel racing and pole bending. Staci chose to be homeschooled through high school, so that she had even more time to spend on the ranch, honing her horsemanship skills, between school and rodeos. At seventeen, being a rodeo queen was not even on her radar, until winning the title after a friend encouraged her to enter the Sandoval County Queen contest in 2009. “The title I held that year ultimately changed my path and direction in life,” Staci proclaimed.
Miss Rodeo New Mexico 2016, Staci Trehern – LoveLettersPhotography
Although Staci never considered herself a typical rodeo queen, she discovered how much she loved representing the sport of rodeo as she went on to win several titles. Staci was again Sandoval County Rodeo Queen in 2013, Miss New Mexico State Fair Rodeo Queen 2014, 2015 Miss Turquoise Circuit Rodeo Queen and 2016 Miss Rodeo New Mexico. Staci, who believes “Rodeo comes before Queen,” was proud to consistently win horsemanship titles through the pageants. She remembers growing as a person the year she was Miss Turquoise Circuit queen, flying on an airplane for the first time, as she flew to Kissimmee, Florida for a rodeo, and traveling and hauling by herself. As Miss Turquoise Circuit, she was appearing at mostly PRCA rodeos, and as she rode alongside many idols she had watched at the NFR as a young girl, she was grateful to be exactly where she knew God intended her to be. Staci learned that the crown atop her cowgirl hat was not just an award, or platform, but a key that would open doors for her and for future generations.
Staci is the second of only two women to ever hold all three New Mexico Rodeo Queen titles, and chose to run for Miss Rodeo America 2016. This is where she won her eighth horsemanship title, yet finished 2nd Runner-Up for Queen. This was not a loss to her however, as she claimed “I’m no one special, I’m a girl from the middle of nowhere. I didn’t go to Miss Rodeo America to win a crown, my goal was to send the message that everyone is good enough. No matter what anyone tells them, everyone that has a dream in their heart, can succeed.”
Staci’s paths have led to opportunities she never dreamed imaginable. She is working towards her Masters in Communications degree at the University of New Mexico, thanks to over $11,000 in scholarships won through queen contests. She competes in the WPRA, recently placing at Ellensburg, Washington in barrel racing. She was Vogue Magazine’s “American Cowgirl” for their 125th Anniversary Celebration of Women, in January, and has modeled in Western Horse & Gun, and Cowboys & Indians Magazine. She empowers young girls through her online Wahya Warriors Rodeo Queen clinics, where from the comforts of home, aspiring rodeo queens learn lessons on all aspects of being better versions of themselves. Interested girls can message Staci on Facebook to join the clinics. Staci encourages rodeo athletes and queens by saying “an arrow can only be shot forward by first being pulled back, so when you feel like life is pulling you back, just know that you are going to be shot forward into something great. So, no matter what, always follow your arrow, wherever it points.”
