Sydney Farnsworth will compete for state’s Miss Teen Rodeo title in Ellensburg

Sydney Farnsworth, shown here in her Palouse Empire Rodeo Queen mode, will compete this weekend for the title of Miss Teen Rodeo Washington at Ellensburg.

Sydney Farnsworth, who completed her reign as the Palouse Empire Rodeo Queen at this year's fair, has her sights set on another crown.

The Pullman High School senior will compete in the Miss Teen Rodeo Washington Pageant this weekend in Ellensburg. The three-day competition begins today and concludes Saturday. Most of the events will take place at the Quality Inn Conference Center in Ellensburg, with the exception of the Horsemanship competition which is at the Kittitas Valley Event Center in Ellensburg.

Farnsworth, 17, will compete with two other teenagers for the title. She previously told the Gazette she would be honored to be able to continue to promote the rodeo sport.

“Becoming Miss Teen Rodeo Washington would be an honor that would allow me to promote the sport of rodeo, as well as represent the beautiful state of Washington,” she said. “I am a small town girl with traditional values. I believe in hard work, honesty and integrity, and would bring these values to the title of Miss Teen Rodeo Washington.”

In preparation for the event, she said she has spent a lot of time with her queen horse, Roxie, and has been hitting the books, too.

“I have been riding my horse a lot and studying rodeo knowledge and Washington state history and the history of the PRCA.”

The PRCA is the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association, which Farnsworth would represent if she takes the crown.

Farnsworth said she is “very excited” for the competition this weekend and her experience as the Palouse Empire Rodeo Queen for the last year gave her a new sense of confidence and helped her to realize the influence she could have on others.

“Being the Palouse Empire Rodeo Queen made me realize that I wanted to take a step further into the queening experience,” she said. “It gave me an opportunity to realize I could go on. It is a bigger step into getting to meet new people and traveling all over the state.”

Farnsworth said she enjoyed her time as the Palouse Empire Rodeo Queen, as it gave her the opportunity to meet and interact with many different people.

“I have always wanted to be a rodeo queen, so this is just continuing on and helping me to make a difference in people's lives,” she said. “I want to be someone who is good for young kids to look up to.”

She said one of her favorite things is talking “with the little girls” across the state.

“They are always so fun,” said Farnsworth.

She said her parents have instilled good values in her that she hopes will help her to be an example for young girls.

“It's striving to be the best I can be and taking the things that my parents have taught me to be,” she said. “I am always trying to be better.”

Accompanying Farnsworth and horse Roxie will be her parents, Kelly and Raelynn Farnsworth, younger brother Zack Farnsworth and family friends Todd and Rachel Jensen.

Farnsworth said Roxie has been “a rock star” horse for her during her time as the Palouse Empire Rodeo Queen, accompanying her to all of her rodeos and parades and putting up with glitter.

“She is the one I have done all the parades with, the one I have done my run-ins on,” Farnsworth told the Gazette prior to this year's Palouse Empire Rodeo Queen competition. “I could not have done it without her.”

Several judged events will determine the winner, including the kick off party and dinner Thursday night, the Horsemanship competition and fashion show Friday and the public speaking and media interview Saturday.