Winning in the Saddle: Rodeo Queen Horsemanship Tips to Stand Out in Competition

Horsemanship is what separates a rodeo queen from every other pageant queen. It's not a box to check; it's a craft. And if you've been waiting until two months before your pageant to really dig in, let's have a little chat.

The girls who win in the saddle aren't the ones who got lucky with a great draw horse or happened to ride a perfect pattern. They're the ones who've put in the daily work, built the muscle memory, and walked into that arena with a plan. Here's what that actually looks like.

How Horses Learn

Before we talk patterns and lead changes, we need to talk about the foundation: all horses learn from the release of pressure. Every single one of them, no matter how different their personalities. If you understand that, you can get a lot farther with any horse you ride.

As the saying goes: the difference between a good horseman and a great one is the timing of the release. The faster you can recognize when your horse gives you what you asked for, and immediately take the pressure off, the faster they'll understand what you want.

That also means knowing when to quit. If you walked into the arena aiming for a full 360-degree spin and your horse isn't there yet, change the goalpost. Ask for one step of crossing over in front. Get it. Pet the horse. That's it. You'd be surprised how quickly your horse will put the whole thing together when you break it down like that.

"How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." — Beth's guiding principle for training any new skill.

Getting Your Horse Ready

There are a lot of things you can do to prepare your horse, but here are the ones that matter most:

Mindful rides, every day. Know where your horse's feet are at all times. Visualize where they'll land before you ask for anything. Intentional riding beats more riding every time.
Straight lines are not optional. The judges sit on center, and they can absolutely tell if you're five feet off. Work on this at home by setting up two cones and practice getting onto and off of your centerline cleanly. Everything in a pattern is either a straight line or a circle. Ride like you know the difference.
Think in capital D's. When you're doing your big circles, ride them like a capital D. Come onto centerline as soon as possible, ride straight across the arena rail to rail, and only turn off when you reach the other side. Don't get lost in your circles and drift early.
Teach your horse 'whoa,’ and mean it. Your horse should stop off the word alone, combined with your body. Check in with random whoas at a walk. If they don't stop, back them up, turn, and ask again. A horse that truly knows whoa is a horse you can ride anywhere.
Break up the body parts. Can you move your horse's hips independently from their ribcage, independently from their shoulders? Lateral control is everything, and it's what gets you clean lead departures, solid lead changes, and a horse that actually goes where you're pointing.
Ride at a set speed and keep it. If you put your horse in a jog, they should stay in a jog. Don't let them build on you. Teach them to be responsible for their own speed, and practice it at home so it's automatic in competition.
Haul out and ride in new places. Your horse needs to know that new arenas are no big deal. Take them places, keep the energy calm, reward the good moments, and build their confidence alongside your own.

What the Judges Are Actually Looking For

When you walk into that arena, here's what's going through a judge's head:

Do you have a plan? Can they tell you know exactly where you're going?
Are your lines clean? Straight through center, balanced circles, using the whole arena.
Are you actively riding that horse? Legs on, steering, guiding, and not just sitting there hoping for the best. This isn't a horse show where you want to look still and pretty. This is rodeo. Use your legs.
Are you riding the horse from back to front? The power comes from the hindquarters. A judge who knows horsemanship will be watching whether you understand what's happening behind you.
Are you showing that horse off? Whether it's your horse or a draw, the judge wants to see you get the most out of whatever is underneath you. Don't let a great horse go to waste by under-riding.

"I’m looking for someone who makes it look fun and easy." — Former Miss Rodeo America when asked about how they judge horsemanship

A smile and relaxed confidence can communicate a level of skill that even non-technical judges will recognize immediately.

If You Black Out or Rush Through Your Pattern

This happens to a lot of girls. You walk into the arena, blink, and suddenly it's over, and you have no idea what just happened. Or the opposite: you're so focused on what's coming next that you don't actually finish the element you're on.

Here's the fix: narrate out loud.

When you're practicing at home, say what you're doing as you do it. 'I'm loping a big circle. I'm coming onto the centerline. I'm riding to the fence. I'm sitting for my stop.' Say it out loud until it becomes the voice in your head. Then in competition, that internal narration keeps you present, slows you down, and holds you accountable to finishing each element before you move to the next.

It also helps to break the pattern into its individual pieces. You don't have one giant, terrifying task in front of you, you have a big circle, a small circle, a lead change, a stop, a backup, a pivot. You know how to do every single one of those. Stack them together and you have a pattern.

Want more expert coaching like this?

This blog post was adapted from the “Winning in the Saddle” online clinic with Beth Bahem. Project Pageantry's Academy sessions bring top coaches and titleholders straight to you—no travel required. Get tips, techniques, and insider knowledge that can elevate your performance in the arena. Find and sign up for upcoming clinics here.

About the Author

Beth Bahem is a lifelong horsewoman and western lifestyle enthusiast who has held five rodeo queen titles, including the 2013 Miss Teen Rodeo Washington, the 60th Miss NPRA (2016), and the 2018 Miss Rodeo Washington title. At the Miss Rodeo America pageant, Beth earned second runner-up honors and took home the coveted Horsemanship Award. She competes in breakaway roping, barrel racing, and team roping, and remains deeply active in the rodeo community through coaching. Beth has served as head clinician numerous times and has judged state and local pageants, including Miss Rodeo Idaho (2023) and Miss Rodeo Oregon (2024).

Winning in the Saddle: What Every Rodeo Queen Needs to Know About Horsemanship