“We have a specific hairstyle,” Ramos explained. “It’s standard for rodeo queens to have big, fluffy, curled hair. And then also we have what we call wings — hair that comes out to the side.”

“That kind of helps to hold your hat up,” she added.

After her hair comes the “standard” makeup and her outfit, which consists of “a lot of rhinestones and a lot of leather.”

The combined look is something of a period piece costume specific to the glitzy, teased-up styles of the 1980s, when rodeo queening first began.

In order to achieve the look with variety and pizzazz, Ramos traveled to her most recent pageant with 10 separate outfits in her favorite colors.

“I think in total I also brought about 14 pairs of boots,” she said.

But appearances aren’t even half the battle of becoming a successful rodeo queen. The mission of the Miss Rodeo Arizona Pageant is to select “an ambassador for professional rodeo, the Western way of life and agriculture in the State of Arizona,” according to Ramos. The hair, makeup and outfit are just the tack, the “pretty package” that adorns what must be a woman wealthy in knowledge and horsemanship.

As a Miss Rodeo Arizona contestant, Ramos was expected to have an intimate grasp of rodeo history, veterinary knowledge and practical saddle skills.

During the pageant contestants were asked to go through “a series of multiple interviews where we are tested upon our knowledge,” Ramos said, before being asked to jump in the saddle and demonstrate their abilities.

“We ride a random horse that most of the time we’ve never been on before,” Ramos said. “And we ride it on a set pattern to show that we can be thrown into any situation at any time and think on our feet.”

Born and raised in Flagstaff, Ramos attended Coconino High School, participated in the Coconino County 4-H program and helped out on the Flying M Ranch on Anderson Mesa. She described here upbringing as “well-rounded.”

“I really grew up integrated in the Western way of life,” Ramos said. “But I also grew up with a pair of skis attached to my feet.”

In 2018, Ramos won the title of Flagstaff Pro Rodeo Queen, after which she found herself under the wing of other successful rodeo queens who showed her how pageantry contributed to stewardship of the rodeo industry and could lead to other mentorship and career opportunities.

“I was very fortunate to have those girls kind of show me what I could really do if I got to a higher level,” Ramos said.

And with her recent coronation as Miss Rodeo Arizona, Ramos is now bound for those higher levels of rodeo queening. Rather than being relieved by the crown, Ramos is taut with anticipation.

“That was the easy part,” she said of claiming the Miss Rodeo Arizona title in early September. “Now the work begins.”

Over the next year, Ramos will be traveling thousands of miles to rodeos throughout the nation and representing Arizona to nearly every state in the union.

“I’m going to be flying to a lot of rodeos by myself,” she said.

That’s part of the reason she has been tested on riding unfamiliar horses — everywhere she goes, she will saddle up a new steed.

“Sadly a horse isn’t the proper size for a carry-on,” she quipped.

Ready for the next ride

The year will be spent working up to December, when Ramos will compete in the Miss Rodeo America Pageant, which is set to take place alongside the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo — the “SuperBowl of Rodeo,” according to Ramos.

If crowned Miss Rodeo America, Ramos would then move to an international stage, where she would represent American professional rodeo to the world.

Miss Rodeo America “is the role model for every single little girl out there that has an infatuation with horses,” Ramos said, and should she rise to such a status, she knows exactly what values she’d like to model.

“I want to exemplify that hard-working, cowboy attitude,” she said. She explained this attitude as one built on conscious gratitude and the existential faith that all moments have their purpose.

“Opportunities that anybody is getting at any point in their life, they’re once-in-a-lifetime opportunities,” Ramos said. “You have been placed in this scenario, meeting these people at this place during this time, for a reason.”

She added: “Some days, it’s not going to be easy. But that’s how life is. Some days, you’re running on three hours of sleep, and you’re functioning on peanut M&Ms and coffee. But life is what you make of it.”

She will be celebrating her recent coronation as Miss Rodeo Arizona on January 7, 2023, at the Prescott Frontier Days Rodeo Grounds. The event will also serve as a fundraiser to help Ramos in her pursuit of the Miss Rodeo America title. For more information and tickets, visit missrodeoarizona.org.