Waialua Girl Wins State Rodeo Crown

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Shelby Rivera proudly displays proof of her Miss Rodeo Hawaii title. She’ll compete nationally in Las Vegas. Photo by The Camera Man Bob Duran, courtesy the Hawaii Women’s Rodeo Association.

Waialua High graduate Shelby Rivera will represent Hawaii at the national Miss Rodeo America Pageant this November.

Rivera won the Miss Rodeo Hawaii 2008 in late May out of a pool of three candidates. The 2007 graduate will appear in parades and rodeos as well as the national pageant in Las Vegas vying for the top title against girls from 40 other states. To earn the local crown, she was required to compete in five different events that judged her appearance, personality, modeling, equestrian knowledge and horsemanship.

“She did really well in appearance, modeling and personality,” said Lu Faborito, president of the Hawaii Women’s Rodeo Association. The national competition will have the same categories, she added, “but they will include TV modeling, TV speech - and they add more communications type, media skills.”

“I’m actually kind of excited,” admitted Rivera, who is currently studying animal science at UHHilo. Her queenly duties include perpetuating the Paniolo spirit and promoting Hawaii rodeos.

If she wins, Rivera will tour rodeos and other events throughout the U.S. “I think I have a good chance of winning,” she laughed. “I have to think positive - I’m a real humble person, and there’s a bunch of other girls going into (this competition) thinking they’re going to win, too.”

Rivera, who has already appeared in the Kamehameha Day Parade and at a Fourth of July celebration, will be at the All Girls Rodeo at Kualoa Ranch in September.