Distinctly Montana Magazine

w w w . d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m 79 She describes a recent day at the Belt, Montana PRCA Rodeo: 00:02 I get into my hotel room at the Staybridge Suites in Great Falls, pull off my boots, and tuck my Greeley hat in my hat can. I find the iron and ironing board, pick out my outfit for the morning, and make sure it will look professional and classy. 00:59 I hop in bed, wrap myself up in a fleece blanket that I packed from home, say my prayers, and turn off the lights. 06:35 My alarm clock goes off. I lay in bed for a few minutes before rising. 06:40 I turn on my curling iron, my hair straightener, and wash my face. 06:48 Now this is the most boring part of my day, but the more I do it, the faster I get. By now, the curling iron is hot and I start sculpting my hair. It must last ALL DAY so I use a thermal heat setting spray to protect it and make sure it is bouncy when I ride around the arena in the evening. 07:17 en I put on all my make up. 07:50 I pack up a day bag filled with an extra shirt (accidents happen!), touch up makeup, lipstick, bobby pins, and other essentials. 08:01 I leave my hotel room as Miss Rodeo Montana and have the necessities packed in my custom leather briefcase. 08:04 I go to the lobby for the best breakfast offered by a hotel in the entire state. Bacon (my favorite!), yogurt with fresh strawber- ries, blueberries, and pineapple, just to name a few of their options. I say hi to the staff, and give Michelle T a hug. She is so kind and we have cultivated a friendship since the pageant in January. 08:13 I see Cody Carson, the Northwest Montana Pro Rodeo Teen. I catch someone taking a photo of us so I offer him the op- portunity to pose with us; he is tickled. After explaining to them that this is our normal uniform and inviting them to the Belt PRCA Rodeo, 20 miles outside of Great Falls, we part ways. K AYLA SEAMAN HAILS FROM THE FLATHEAD VALLEY, WHERE IN THE LATE 1800S HER FAMILY HOMESTEADED. As a small child, Kayla showed marked interest in the horses pasturing in the meadow across the road from her home. Her parents knew they had to find a place for her to ride. For years Kayla won many ribbons in open Western and English classes at the Northwest Montana Fair. Eventually, her skills outgrew her parents' ability to help her and they arranged for Kayla, then a teenager, to travel with trainers to several regional and Canadian shows. She ventured into many disciplines: show jumping across North America, three-day-eventing at e Event at Rebecca Farm (the largest horse triathlon in the country), to showing random horses from California to Kentucky through the Intercollegiate Horse Show Associa- tion, and skijoring (winning the 2017 National Finals in Red Lodge in her division). She is not done though; she is working hard to be the first woman from Montana to win the Miss Rodeo America title. CLAY GUARDIPEE (RODEO READY) Watch Kayla's skills in NFR tryouts www.distinctlymontana.com/kayla194 DISTINCTLY MONTANA | DIGITAL CONTINUED

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