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Today we’d like to introduce you to McKardy Kelly.
Hi McKardy, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My rodeo journey began at a young age. I grew up traveling to rodeos throughout Utah with my dad, spending much of my childhood on the road with my mom, dad, and two younger brothers. As I got older, I knew I wanted to become a voice for the sport of rodeo, just like my dad had. My mom was a rodeo queen, which made it feel like the perfect opportunity for me. I remember competing for Hooper Tomato Days Princess when I was about five years old. The contest didn’t go as planned, and my dad tried to steer me in a different direction. However, when I turned 10, I convinced him to let me try again. I competed and won the Mountain Valley Stampede Rodeo Princess title, and from there, the journey took off. I went on to win Miss Utah High School Rodeo in my freshman year and, in 2019, became the National High School Rodeo Queen in my sophomore year. I was the first girl from Utah to win the title in over a decade. After a few years off to attend school at Utah Tech University, I decided to return to the rodeo world. In 2023, I competed for Miss Rodeo Utah, and in my first year, I was blessed to win the pageant. I had the honor of serving as Miss Rodeo Utah for 2024.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
In 2019, my lifelong dream finally came true when I was crowned the National High School Rodeo Queen. However, as many of you know, the pandemic hit in 2020, and my year was cut short. I was devastated—I didn’t get to attend as many rodeos as I had hoped, and the year ended up being spent mostly at home. But it was during this time that everything changed. I began learning from industry professionals how to use my phone to market the sport of rodeo. This inspired me to pursue a degree in communications, so I could work in the Western industry as a digital marketer. After graduating high school, I moved to St. George. It was difficult to leave behind the lifestyle I had known and loved. I had to set aside my passion for riding horses in order to focus on my education. I learned how to balance life without the support of horses, and adjusting from farm life to city life became something I had to adapt to.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
When I won Miss Rodeo Utah, I punched my ticket to compete for Miss Rodeo America. I competed in the Miss Rodeo America pageant in December 2024, where I earned third runner-up and the public speaking award. Now that my days of competing in rodeo queen contests are over, I spend my time teaching young girls how to interview, speak publicly, ride horses, and prepare for pageants. Outside of mentoring, I work managing social media for various small businesses and associations, as well as doing freelance work for Western companies and rodeos.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Before I won Miss Rodeo Utah, I was Miss Wilderness Circuit, which meant I traveled throughout Utah, Nevada, and southern Idaho, representing the cowboys in the circuit. After winning that title, I thought I was done competing in pageants. However, I met one of my role models, Miss Rodeo America 2023, Kennadee Riggs, who ultimately encouraged me to compete for Miss Rodeo Utah. A few short months later, I found myself competing in the pageant. While I wouldn’t consider myself much of a risk-taker, I’ve learned that when doors open, it’s best to walk through them and figure out the rest later. I’m glad I followed this motto because, if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have had the incredible experiences I had in 2024.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mckardy.kelly/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mckardy.kelly.9/
- Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/mckardy-kelly-49821a1bb