Letter from Lori

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Life’s a journey for rodeo queen 
By Denise Poss 
The North Platte Telegraph 

Lori Bortner has had an exciting year, to say the least. 

Since receiving the Miss Rodeo Nebraska crown in January, she has traveled more than 20,000 miles representing the state of Nebraska and professional rodeo. She has also attended numerous stock shows and rodeos, as well as taken the time to visit schools and other organizations. 

Though the past months have been filled with fun and excitement for the rodeo queen, the best may be yet to come. 

In December, Bortner will travel to Las Vegas to attend the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and compete for the coveted title of Miss Rodeo America 2003. 

During a recent stop in North Platte, Bortner took time out for an interview about where she's been, where she's going and the literal "up's and down's" of being Miss Rodeo Nebraska. 

How has your life changed since you were crowned Miss Rodeo Nebraska? 

"Thus far I've been to eight states and one Canadian province, so I've done quite a bit of traveling this summer. It's sad to see it coming to a close. This summer my typical day was a rodeo almost every day and a lot of driving. I took a year off (she was a sophomore in pre-med at College of St. Mary in Omaha) to be Miss Rodeo Nebraska." 

What is your "job" as Miss Rodeo Nebraska? 

"Basically, the job is promoting rodeo and the western way of life. Traveling the country and telling people about it and kind of educating everyone you meet. Something that I also did this year is when I visit schools I talk a lot about goal setting and how doing that can help you accomplish your dreams." 

What is the best part about being Miss Rodeo Nebraska? 

"I would say the best thing about it is meeting all the people. You get to meet people from all walks of life." 

And what is the worst part? 

"Probably the hair. Having to do the hair every day. The one thing about it is the hairspray takes so long to wash out. It takes about 15 minutes to half hour to do my hair each day, and I don't take my hat off unless I'm done being Miss Rodeo Nebraska for the day and I'm in my hotel room or house where nobody can see me!" 

Is there a financial strain that comes with being Miss Rodeo Nebraska? 

"Nebraska is very lucky in that aspect, especially with the community of North Platte giving so much to the Miss Rodeo Nebraska Pageant and to Miss Rodeo Nebraska herself, so it really hasn't been that much of a financial strain on myself. But, it would not be possible without the sponsorships." 

Have you had a "most embarrassing moment" since receiving the crown? 

"One thing that did happen to me this year is I had a horse in Crawford that bucked with me six times and I had five other horses that had bucked with me, so it was a big joke among a bunch of the cowboys that I just needed to take up saddle bronc riding since I was becoming so good at it." 

Have you faced any special challenges during your reign so far? 

"There haven't been many. We don't get a lot of sleep, but being a college student I was used to that. We also do a lot of traveling, but it's been an overall good experience." 

What have you been doing in the past few weeks? 

"Right now I'm preparing for Las Vegas and the Miss Rodeo America Pageant. I've been busy getting all the clothes ready and studying and doing mock interviews. Also ahead are the Prairie Circuit Finals in November in Guthrie, Oklahoma." 

Are you nervous about competing in the Miss Rodeo America Pageant? 

"I'm just really looking forward to the whole experience. Everyone I've talked to has said it's so much fun." 

Will you stay involved with the pageant system? 

"I will definitely stay involved with it. I will always be a part of the Miss Rodeo Nebraska Association. I will also try to pick up where I left off with school and go from there." 

FAST FACTS 

Lori Bortner, Miss Rodeo Nebraska 2002, will attend a Miss Rodeo America send-off celebration given in her honor at 7 p.m. today at the former Elks Club in North Platte. She will model outfits she plans to wear during the pageant as well as give the speech she will present. Several Nebraska area rodeo queens are also expected to attend. Tickets are available at the Nebraskaland Days office, Town & Country Western Wear in North Platte and KG’s Western Wear in Hershey.

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Miss Rodeo Nebraska competes for national title 
By Denise Poss 
The North Platte Telegraph 

Lori Bortner, Miss Rodeo Nebraska 2002, is doing extremely well at the Miss Rodeo America Pageant this week in Las Vegas, according to her successor, Lynn Welker. 

"Everyone seems to be very impressed with Lori this week," said Welker via a telephone call to the Telegraph from Las Vegas Wednesday. 

Each year in December, the reigning Miss Nebraska travels to Las Vegas to attend the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and compete for the coveted title of Miss Rodeo America. If Bortner is selected at the coronation ceremony Saturday, she will receive the title currently held by Kara Brown of Athens, Texas, and will be the 48th young woman to be selected to represent professional rodeo. 

In January, Bortner will hand over her Miss Rodeo Nebraska title to Welker, who was selected for the honor of Miss Rodeo Nebraska 2003 during the Nebraskaland Days rodeo in North Platte last June. 

According to Welker, Bortner was nervous when she arrived in Las Vegas on Sunday, but that quickly wore off and she is now having fun and enjoying her time there. 

"Lori did really well on her speech this morning," Welker said, "and she did an excellent job in the horsemanship competition on Monday." 

Most of the day Tuesday was comprised of personality interviews, said Welker. She also said there have been several events that family and friends have been able to attend, such as the orientation on Sunday and a "get acquainted" party. 

Contestants have also had several rehearsals throughout the week for the dinner and fashion show that was presented Wednesday evening. 

Though the contestants have several more days of competition ahead, Welker is optimistic about Bortner's chances for success in the pageant. 

"I would bet she would at least make it to the top five," Welker said, "and it wouldn't surprise me at all if she wins."

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Bortner wins Miss Rodeo America
LAS VEGAS (AP)

Lori Bortner of McCook was selected Miss Rodeo America on Saturday, topping a field of 26 contestants.
Bortner, 20, attends College of Saint Mary in Omaha and is a 2000 graduate of McCook High School. She plans to attend medical school at the University of Nebraska to study orthopedic surgery.

"I felt extremely prepared," said Bortner, who also took Miss Personality honors. "I'd ridden a lot of the different horses in the field and felt pretty confident."

Kelly Kraegel of Murrieta, Calif., is the first runner-up and Addie Knowlton of Fowler, Colo., is second runner-up. The contestants were judged on personality, appearance and horsemanship.

Bortner is the fourth Nebraskan to win the pageant, following Dallas Hunt in 1957, Nancy Ann Simmons in 1967 and Lisa Poese in 1991.

In her role as Miss Rodeo America, Bortner will travel across the country promoting professional rodeo, western heritage and the western way of life. She will speak at schools and civic groups, appear at rodeo performances and star in commercials.

Bortner will receive $10,000 in scholarships along with various wardrobe items and the use of a horse trailer for a the year.

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Pageant winner arrives Monday
By George Lauby
The North Platte Telegraph

Lori Bortner, the newly crowned Miss Rodeo America, will fly home to Nebraska Monday.
Bortner arrives at North Platte Regional Airport/Lee Bird Field at 10:35 p.m. The public is invited to welcome her.

"I hope everyone realizes how important this is to the state of Nebraska," North Platte Mayor Jim Whitaker said. "It's terrific that Nebraska has a national queen, and Lori is a wonderful woman."

Bortner lives in rural McCook. She will return to North Platte's Holiday Inn Dec. 20 for a formal celebration.
The event is from 7-9 p.m., and the public is invited. Bortner has been Miss Rodeo Nebraska for a year.
She won the Rodeo America crown Saturday in Las Vegas. The event was held in conjunction with the National Finals Rodeo.

Bortner did well in every category at the competition and won the personality award.

"I was thrilled to hear the news when they broke in with the announcement on the television," Whitaker said.
Bortner is forthright, honest, intelligent and extremely friendly, according to Mardee Swanson of North Platte, who has helped Bortner prepare for the competition during the past year and a half from her post on the Miss Rodeo Nebraska Association.

To win the crown, Bortner went through numerous interviews as well as a horsemanship competition.
"She worked very hard to attain the title," Swanson said. "We are thrilled. Our goal is to help the young ladies get there and be prepared. We are proud of her."

Bortner, 20, is currently attending the College of Saint Mary, where she pursues a bachelor of science degree. She plans to attend the University of Nebraska Medical Center and study orthopedic surgery.
Bortner likes to sing, dance, run, ride, work with horses, watch the Huskers, play basketball, spending time with family and friends, and working on the family farm and ranch.

"She is a wonderful woman," Whitaker said. "She has great goals in medicine, and the athletic skills that represent our western heritage. Plus, she's very beautiful."

During the past year, Bortner has traveled nearly 40,000 miles during as Miss Rodeo Nebraska. She went to each of the 10 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association rodeos in the state, as well as to numerous other places in the region. Now, Bortner will spend the next year traveling some 100,000 miles, Swanson said, representing the state at cowboy events in all 50 states.

Bortner is the fourth Nebraskan to win the crown since the pageant began in 1955. The state's last national queen was Lisa Posse Jamison of Ashby.

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Miss Rodeo America visits NP 
By George Lauby 
The North Platte Telegraph 

Miss Rodeo America Lori Bortner thanked well-wishers and supporters at a reception in North Platte Friday. 

She shed a tear or two as she did so. 

Bortner, 20, received the national crown Dec. 7 after a week of intense competition in Las Vegas. She returned to Nebraska Monday on the way to her home between Maywood and McCook. She returned to North Platte Friday for the reception. 

Mayor Jim Whitaker and Nebraskaland Days representative Jim States, among others, welcomed Bortner. 

"No disrespect to your parents, but we kind of latch on to people like this. We adopt them." Whitaker said. "We are your friends forever. We will watch your career and if we can be of help in any way, we are there. 

"You are representing not just McCook and North Platte, but Nebraska, and now you are representing us to the United States of America," he added. 

States and Sharon Halligan spoke highly of her, praising her beauty inside and out. 

"Those of us who knew her didn't have any doubt that she would win," States said. 

Bortner was moved by the reception. 

"The question I have most often been asked is, 'has it sunk in yet?'" she said. "I think it just did. I could never have done this without your help." 

Bortner is the fourth Nebraskan to win the national crown since the Nebraska pageant began in 1955. She won the 2002 Miss Rodeo Nebraska pageant in North Platte. 

Now, she begins a year of travel throughout the nation. Her first stop is Jan. 4 in Valentine at the coronation of the 2003 Miss Rodeo Nebraska Lynn Welker. She travels to Denver Jan. 10 for the Western and English Apparel Market, held in conjunction with the Denver National Stock Show. 

In all, she is booked to appear at 300 events in 2003, her father Bob Bortner said. 

Lori Bortner will spend the holidays at home with Bob, her mother Barb and her siblings before she hits the road. She returns to North Platte June 13-22 during Nebraskaland Days and its Buffalo Bill rodeo. 

Rodeo teaches people about the history of the West and is a good example of competition, sportsmanship and family values, she said. And, contrary to contentions by animal rights activists, rodeo animals are treated well. 

"They live the best of any animals," she said. "Only one-tenth of one percent are ever injured, and that includes any type of injury." 

She said she would spend the holidays sorting clothes, deciding what to take with her. 

A friend since childhood, Daisy Snyder, said she has finally has had opportunities to talk with Bortner during the past few days, but the two of them have never been far apart. They grew up within five miles of each other. Snyder is now a student at the University of Nebraska-Kearney. 

"I am honored," Snyder said. "She called me from the pageant in Las Vegas. I didn't think she would have time, but she found a way. She asked me how things were, and how finals were going." 

Susan Williams, a member of the board of directors of Nebraskaland Days as well as the Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation, said a permanent educational scholarship fund for Miss Rodeo Nebraska contestants has been established in Bortner's honor. 

Williams announced the endowment Friday morning on North Platte radio station KX 104, and by evening had received $2,000 in contributions toward a goal of $30,000.