Strathmore Stampede to introduce 2023 royalty candidates

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Strathmore Stampede Royalty Committee has announced they will be hosting a fashion show on the Agricultural Society grounds and will be introducing their royalty candidates for this year.

Program Coordinator Nikki Peltzer said the Miss Strathmore Stampede competition will be kicking off June 8, the same day of the fashion show, and will run until June 11. 

“We have a few events going on in the morning, and then the evening ends off with the fashion show,” she said. 

The competition to claim the title of Stampede Royalty for Strathmore consists of a written test, personal interview, speech, and horsemanship competitions. Contestants will be evaluated in each category before a winner is crowned. 

Three young women have thrown their hats into the ring this year, including Breanna Correia, Kailyn Simpson, and Ellen Van Noordenburg. 

Last year, Martina Holtkamp was crowned Miss Strathmore Stampede, and represented the organization throughout the rodeo season. She, as well as Miss Rodeo Canada, Mackenzie Skeels, will both be attending the Strathmore fashion show.

“It is definitely a job. Martina had a very busy schedule this last year. I asked her to summarize how many events she has been to, but pretty much every weekend she has been to at least one, if not two or more things,” said Peltzer. “It is a lot of travelling around the province and attending not just rodeos, but community events and fundraisers – all kinds of different promotional things put on by our community.”

Tickets for the June 8 event have been made available at The Rack on Third, Lammle’s, Maggie’s Nest, and at the Strathmore Agricultural Society office. 

Doors to the event are scheduled to open at 6 p.m. to a cash bar, trade show, food, and prize tables. The fashion show is slated to begin at 7 p.m.

“Last year, because it was our first year of getting the program up and running again, we just did a small fashion show at a boutique … we probably had 150 people come. We have 225 tickets available this year,” said Peltzer. “We have been so thrilled with how much the community has supported this … we have got a great number of supporters, and then we have got a lot of other businesses that are kicking in and helping with the door prizes and raffle table.”

The new Miss Strathmore Stampede will be crowned as the competition comes to a close on June 11.