PENDLETON — Alex Featherstone of Pendleton will be the queen of the Pendleton Round-Up for 2012. Her princesses will be Kymee Braseth of La Grande, Brittany Doherty of Pilot Rock, Katie Harris of Pendleton and Jessica Hughes of Heppner.
The court was announced at an annual breakfast today (Dec. 17) at the home of Heather and Doug Corey in Adams. The breakfast was also hosted by Steve and Susan Corey, Tom and Ellyn Weeks, Joan Corey, Kipp and Cydney Curtis, Michael and Jenny Corey and Tyson and Megan Furstenberg.
“Every year I am amazed at the caliber of the young women who donate a year of their lives to promote the Round-Up,” President Dennis Hunt said. “This group of ladies is outstanding and I know they will make us proud.”
Court director Heather Corey agreed.
“The poise these five young women possess is truly remarkable,” she said. “I am looking forward to a busy and rewarding year with not only these girls, but with their families as well.”
Corey also said it is obvious that being a queen or princess for the Pendleton Round-Up is still as important as it was when royalty first graced the rodeo.
“We had so many great applicants,” she said “It’s exciting to see the caliber of young women who are willing to put their personal plans aside to make Round-Up the center of their existence for a year.”
- Alex Featherstone
Alex Featherstone, 21, is the daughter of Barry and Maryl Featherstone of Pendleton. She was a princess in 2010. She graduated from Pendleton High School in 2008, where she was awarded the Lantern Cup and the Citizenship Cup. She is now majoring in political science at Willamette University in Salem. At Willamette, she is a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society.
She has been a pennant bearer for Round-Up and has volunteered with Tough Enough to Wear Pink, the souvenir booth, and at the work party. She’s been riding for 10 years. Her grandmother, Betty Holt Graybeal, was a princess the first year the royalty jumped over the wooden fence. Her great uncle Walter Holt was a Round-Up director and her family members are long-time volunteers for the rodeo. She is the first in her family to be queen of the Round-Up.
- Kymee Braseth
Kymee Braseth, 21, is the daughter of Craig and Kay Braseth of La Grande. She graduated from Imbler High School in 2008 and is majoring in dental hygiene at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande. In high school she was yearbook editor, played varsity basketball and was active in FFA, receiving her state and American degree.
Her parents have been Round-Up volunteers in Room 17 for the last three years. Braseth has been riding horses for more than 18 years. She served as the queen of the 2008 Eastern Oregon Livestock Show. Being with her parents during their volunteer work, she has met and been impressed by the young women on the court as well as the rodeo itself.
- Brittnay Doherty
Brittany Doherty, 20, is the daughter of Raymond and Teri Doherty of Pilot Rock. She graduated from Pilot Rock High School in 2009. While at PRHS, she played volleyball, basketball and softball, making all-league in all three sports. She was also a member of the National Honor Society. She is now majoring in early childhood development and education at Oregon State University in Corvallis where she is on the honor roll. She earned her associate’s transfer degree at Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton.
She has served as a Round-Up pennant bearer and as a member of the Happy Canyon Quadrille. She’s been riding horses for 10 years. Doherty’s family has volunteered for Round-Up in many capacities including moving stock, helping in the arena and selling beer chips. Her great grandfather also provided bucking stock for the rodeo.
- Katie Harris
Katie Harris, 20, is the daughter of Stuart and Deborah Harris of Pendleton. She graduated from Pendleton High School in 2009, where she earned high honors. She now attends Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton and wants to complete her computer science and business studies at Oregon State University after she gets her transfer degree. At BMCC she’s been on the Dean’s List and honors list multiple times and has been named Native American Student of the Month.
Harris and her family are active volunteers in the Round-Up and have been since 1910. She has served as a pennant bearer, danced in the arena, and helped work the cattle before slack. She’s been riding horses for about seven years. Her great aunt, Virginia Wilkinson was queen of the Round-Up in 1948. Her family has also been involved in both Chief Joseph Days and the Reno Rodeo. Harris was a Happy Canyon princess in 2010.
- Jessica Hughes
Jessica Hughes, 19, is the daughter of Kevin and Angie Hughes of Heppner. She graduated in 2010 from Heppner High School and now attends Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton where she’s majoring in elementary education. In high school she was all league in basketball and volleyball, and made the honor roll all four years. In college her name has appeared on both the President’s and the Dean’s lists.
Neither Hughes nor her family have a volunteer history with Round-Up. Her busy schedule in high school sports prevented them from being able to do so. She competed in high school rodeo for all four years of high school career. Attending the rodeo is one of her favorite family events, and she says she looks forward to watching the queen and princesses jump the fence each year in the grand entry. She’s been riding horses for 17 years.
The 2012 Round-Up court will be formally introduced to the Round-Up directors at a dinner in March. They will travel throughout the west promoting the rodeo at a variety of events and will reign over the 102nd Pendleton Round-Up the second full week of September.
Category: Features, People & Volunteers, Queen And Court
