Posted on March 30, 2017.
Star Staff Reports
SOUTHAVEN, Miss — Among the winners at the past Mid-South Fair Rodeo was Millington resident Layla Holland winning the title of Mid-South Princess this past fall. Taylor McNair of Learned, Miss., has won the title of Miss Rodeo of the Mid-South during a crowning ceremony at the Landers Center in Southaven, Miss., on Oct. 1, 2016. McNair is a 20 year-old junior at Mississippi State University in Starkville, MS, where she is working on a degree in Agriculture Business with a concentration on Policy and Law. She is the daughter of Will and Cindy McNair of Learned. She is a member of the MSU Equestrian Team, the Chi Omega Sorority, Block and Bridle Club and Toastmasters. She participates in 4H and volunteers for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Previous titles include Miss Dixie National Rodeo Queen, Miss Crossett PRCA Rodeo Queen, Jr. Miss Dixie National Rodeo and Teen Miss Rodeo of the Mid-South. She has dreams of serving as Miss Rodeo Mississippi someday. Other pageant winners include Teen Miss Rodeo of the Mid-South Mattison Gafner,14, of Vilonia, Ark., Junior Miss Rodeo of the Mid-South Madelyn Clines, 13, of Chelsea, Ala., and Rodeo of the Mid-South Princess Layla Holland, 8, of Millington. The Horsemanship Award went to the contestant with the overall highest score in the horsemanship competition. The winner was Rachel Jackson, 20, of Southaven. Jackson also won the Best Photo Award and the Highest Rodeo Ticket Sales Award. The Spirit of the Mid-South Award, voted on by the contestants, went to Miki Young of Lowell, Ark., and the Pageant Coordinator’s Award for earliest and best entry went to Layla Holland. The pageant offered competition in five age levels, including the Miss division, ages 18-25, the Teen division ages 14-17, the Junior division, ages 10-13, the Princess division ages 6-9 and the Sweetheart division ages 3-6. Contestants were judged in the categories of horsemanship, personality and appearance. The Miss contestants also took a written test about the Rodeo of the Mid-South. Pageant winners will represent the sport of rodeo for one year and promote the 2017 Rodeo of the Mid-South, which is a professional rodeo sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Rodeo of the Mid-South is produced by Lecile Harris of Collierville, and Texas – based Pete Carr Classic Pro Rodeo. The 2016 rodeo performances were held Friday, Sept. 30 and Saturday, Oct. 1 inside the Landers Center in as part of the 160th Mid-South Fair. Pageant sponsors include Van’s Leathercraft of Byhalia, Miss., Cowboy Corner of Southaven, Lincoln Glass and Nurre Glass of Memphis, Lynn Doyle Flowers of Memphis, Western Image Communications, Inc., of Cherry Valley, Ark., Zion Tack of Columbia, Jim and Susan Hudgins, Betha Gill, Reed Bullock, Sandy Simpson, Lecile Harris, Jerry and Connie Nanney.
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