Methow Valley Rodeo Queen Jadyn Mitchell, left, and Princess Elizabeth Clark are both experienced horsewomen.
When then-sophomores Jadyn Mitchell and Elizabeth Clark auditioned for spots on the Methow Valley Rodeo royalty in the fall of 2019, they had no way of knowing that it would evolve into a two-year commitment.
Jadyn and Elizabeth had been selected as Rodeo Queen and Rodeo Princess, respectively, and had been crowned, when the global pandemic shut everything down in March 2020, before they could attend any rodeo-related events, official or otherwise.
“At first it was all on hold,” Jadyn said, “and we thought maybe we’d at least be able to hold the Labor Day Rodeo, if not the Memorial Day Rodeo, but then we realized that a return to normal events wasn’t going to happen in the near future.”
Now, with Washington state reopening to events like parades and rodeos and with vaccination rates on the rise, the Liberty Bell High School juniors are prepared to dedicate themselves to the rodeo circuit.
So far this spring they have attended auctions and coronations for rodeo royalty in other communities, as well as participating in the Tonasket Junior Rodeo, the Winthrop ’49er Days parade, Ride to Rendezvous, and the Arden Old Timers Rodeo. “Our weekends are pretty packed,” Elizabeth said.
Full immersion
Elizabeth grew up in Fall City, near Seattle, and moved to the Methow Valley in 2017 when her family purchased the Bear Creek Equestrian Facility in Winthrop. This full immersion into horse country and an equestrian lifestyle was her father’s dream, Elizabeth said.
“My dad grew up in urban Seattle and he always wanted horses. He got my two older brothers into horses, and then I came along and he got me into it too,” she said. “We all did 4-H and learned to ride. When my brothers became teenagers they phased into other sports, but I kept with it.”
“Riding has always been my primary activity,” said Elizabeth, who participates in “Three-Day Eventing” — a type of equestrian triathlon based on an English model of dressage (performing a series of movements), cross-country (speed, endurance and jumping), and show jumping (jumping obstacles).
Jadyn was born and raised in the Methow Valley and has been riding since she was 5 years old. At age 12 she served as Methow Valley Rodeo princess — one of the youngest in the event’s nearly 50-year history. That year, 2017, Jadyn spoke of the close bond she had formed her primary horse, Sandy. But Sandy is 16 years old now — the same age as her owner — so Jadyn saves her for special occasions, alternating rides between her barrel horse Newt or her other horse Lucky.
Jadyn has been involved in rodeo life since she was 4 years old, so she knew what to expect when she became rodeo royalty. As a teen Jadyn’s mother, Stephanie, competed in barrel racing (“as well as something called ‘Mule Days,’” Jadyn said with a laugh); her grandmother, Marva Mountjoy, has been a timer for the local rodeo.
Still learning
Elizabeth’s familiarity with the rodeo has increased since she moved to the Methow Valley and she continues to learn about rough stock events (the ones that include bucking horses and cows), but her background as a rider provided her with a foundation essential to any equestrian competitions, such as learning to take care of horses, riding in crowds, and presenting oneself in public.
The upcoming Methow Valley Rodeo is an opportunity for riders, royalty and audience members alike to reconnect, mingle and learn. Riders back in the saddle; a community ready to watch them. It is, in so many ways, just like normal.
The girls note that although the coronations and other rodeo-related indoor events they’re participating in have looked different due to COVID, it has felt very comfortable to be out and about representing the Methow Valley Rodeo.
“People are doing everything in their power to be COVID-conscious and make opportunities for everyone who wants to participate in rodeo,” Elizabeth said.
“Be safe, be aware, be conscious of what is going on around you,” Jadyn advises those who attend the upcoming rodeo. “It’s all outside, so that makes it more comfortable. It’s fun to watch rodeo, meet new people, and enjoy the community.”
