Rodeo Queen

Miss Avery Jane Fohn is the 18-year-old daughter of Barry and Lisa Fohn of Harlingen, Texas. She is a senior at Harlingen High School, currently ranked in the top 5 of her graduating class. Avery is a member of various student-led organizations such as PTSA, Student Council, DECA, National Honor Society, and FFA. She is the PTSA President and works alongside parents, teachers, and students to organize community service activities and raise funds for schoolwide events. She is also a member of the Lower Valley Cotillion Club. Avery is currently serving as Area X FFA Vice President and Student Advisor for the Tip O Tex FFA District and Harlingen FFA chapter, where she was the former President of both. She competes in the Creed Speaking LDE Event and Poultry Judging CDE competitions. She also represents Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show as Cover Girl 1st Runner Up. Being a member of the Highland Hustlers 4-H Club for over 10 years, Avery is an extremely active 4-Her having served on Club, County, District, and Texas 4-H State Councils. She attended Advocacy Academy at the Texas Capitol and was on the Leadership Team for the 2022 Texas 4-H Congress. Avery has served as a Texas Youth Livestock Ambassador since attending her short course in 2020. She has traveled across the nation learning about agriculture through the incredible opportunities offered by the TYLA program. This has allowed her to see the world of agriculture from many different perspectives. She was selected to be a student in the inaugural class of the Norman Borlaug Youth in Agriculture Program where she works alongside urban and rural youth to solve some of the Nation’s leading challenges facing agriculture today. Serving as an intern for the Texas Southwest Cattle Raisers Convention and a senior intern for the Greater Chamber of Harlingen, Avery has learned many critical skills in the workplace and business world. This year Avery will be exhibiting two pigs at the Cameron County Fair and Livestock Show. If she is not in the barn working with her show pigs, you can find Avery mentoring younger exhibitors and sharing her experiences with others. She believes learning about others’ stories is so important in building valuable relationships. Growing up extremely involved in 4-H and FFA, Avery has developed a solidified comprehension of the importance agriculture plays in our everyday lives. Her passion as a young agriculturist has grown through each of her experiences. After graduating high school, Avery will attend Texas A&M University in College Station to major in Agricultural Economics. She plans to study abroad during college in order to expand her knowledge of different cultures and act as a bridge across the nation and world. She plans to attend law school after earning her undergraduate degree to pursue Ag policy and eventually become an Ag Lawyer. Avery is extremely honored to be representing the Los Fresnos PRCA Rodeo as the 2023 Rodeo Queen.

Bailey Helmer is the 17 year old daughter of Tate and Heather Helmer of Harlingen, Texas. She is a senior at Harlingen High School where she is in the top ten of her class. She is a member of the Harlingen High FFA where she holds the office position of vice president currently and has been reporter in the past. She is also a member of the Arroyo 4-H Club where she currently holds the office of president for the second year in a row and has been 1st and 2nd vice president, secretary, and treasurer in the past. She currently holds the office of 2^nd vice president for the Cameron County 4-H Council and has held the offices of secretary and treasurer in the past. As a proud member of both FFA and 4-H, she has exhibited various projects such as swine, rabbits, art, and photography while also competing in clothing and textiles, livestock judging, food and nutrition, shooting sports, and the nursery and landscaping CDE competitions. In school she is vice president of National Honor Society, vice president of Student Council, community service chair of Parent Teacher Student Association, and a member of Health Occupations Students of America, National Society of High School Scholars, and on the HHS Basketball Team. In her free time, she likes to go hunting, fishing, and volunteer in her community with events like the Cameron County 4-H Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday Helps, First United Methodist Church Pumpkin Patch, and can food drives for the local food pantries to name a few. Bailey will be attending Texas A&M University in College Station to receive a Bachelor's in Biology and a minor in Agribusiness Entrepreneurship. She plans to attend med school and get a Doctorate of Medicine to become an anesthesiologist and return home to work as well as manage her family’s ranching business on the side.

Celeste Villarreal is the daughter of Alberto C. Villarreal and Rebecca L. Garcia. She is fifteen years old and in the tenth grade at Veterans Memorial Early College High School in Brownsville ISD. Celeste is representing the Highland Hustles 4H club and will be competing in our CCFLS Hog division and the Livestock Judging Contest. Celeste is challenging herself this year with a hog entry after years of showing lambs and she is excited to see where this new challenge will lead her. Celeste serves as her 4H 2^nd Vice President and is a longtime club member, even going back to her Clover Kid days. She has also participated in the Ag Product ID, 4H Shooting, Food and Nutrition and 4H Round Up. Celeste joined the 4H along with her brother and sister years ago and enjoyed the competition aspect of the club, she enjoys taking care of her animal projects and meeting new friends at 4H campus and competitions. Celeste’s future plans are to extend her competition years at large state shows like the San Antonio Stockshow, and hopes to graduate at the Top of her Class in 2022. She the plans to attend Texas A&M, major in architecture and ensure that her own family participates in 4H competitions in the future too.

Sadie Cash is the daughter of Todd and Michele Cash and is honored to be representing Los Fresnos Rodeo as their Queen. Sadie has grown up around livestock shows and has shown rabbits, chickens, shop projects, breeding gilts, and market hogs. Her leadership positions include: Harlingen FFA President, Cameron County 4-H President, District 12 4-H 2nd Vice President, and Highland Hustlers 4-H 1st Vice President. Besides livestock, Sadie also enjoys public speaking and has won speaking events through FFA, 4-H, and at RGVLS. Her speaking abilities and incredible work ethic have also been recognized by the Texas FFA Foundation. She’s been their ambassador for two years, earning Rookie of the Year and Pacesetter awards. Sadie loves to connect with people, especially through the Harlingen FFA Cardinal Classic, a special livestock show for life skills students. Sadie is a member of First Christian Church Harlingen, National Honor Society, Lower RGV Cotillion, and National Cattlemen's Beef Association. She plans to attend Texas A&M University and major in agriculture communications.

Ms. Karen Kutscher Waters is the 16-year-old daughter of Bruce & Karen Waters of Los Fresnos, TX. She is a junior at Los Fresnos High School. Karen has enjoyed being a farmer’s daughter and living the ranch life with her three older siblings (Bruce, Morgan, and Robert). She enjoys caring for her registered Brahman and is currently the Treasurer of the South Texas Junior Brahman Association. On the farm she raises commercial heifers, market steers, rabbits, and her mare “Faith.” Karen improves her archery and rifle skills at home and shoots competitively with 4-H shooting sports teams. She is the current President of the Tip-O-Tex district FFA and Reporter of Los Fresnos FFA. She serves on the Texas 4-H council, District 12 4-H officer team, Cameron County 4-H council team and East Cameron County 4-H vice-president. In 2018 she earned the Gold Star in 4-H, the district FFA Star Chapter Farmer - Production award and accepted her invitation into the South Texas Cotillion Club. She has lead service projects in her community and assisted with state 4-H and FFA initiatives. She was accepted into the medical academy and dual enrollment program at Los Fresnos High School her freshman year, she is currently ranked in the top 5% of the class of 2020. She is a varsity athlete that enjoys swimming, diving, track but is most passionate about water polo. Karen is a member of the Los Fresnos National Honor Society, National Technical Honor Society, and HOSA. She plans to attend Texas A&M and pursue a degree in biomedical engineering to prepare for a career in designing and constructing medical devices. Karen is honored to represent the Los Fresnos Rodeo during its 30th anniversary as their queen.

Madelynn Kristeen Hill is the daughter of Stephen and Kristi Hill from Santa Rosa, TX. She is seventeen years old and in the 12^th grade through a homeschool educational setting. She is representing the Arroyo 4H club and will be showing lambs and rabbits at the stockshow. Madelynn’s community service has included helping at the Logos Community Church Christmas party, Foster Children Toy Drives, RGVLS Gala student volunteer and as Team Leader for Calvary Baptist Music Camp. Madelynn is the 3 ^rd Vice President and Council Delegate for Arroyo 4H and served as a team leader for a summer camp with Calvary Baptist Music Camp. She is an A Honor Roll student and awarded Best Offensive Basketball player for the Harlingen Homeschool Team and invited to the National Basketball Camp in San Diego, CA. Madelynn joined 4H to sharpen her leadership skills and public speaking skills. It also allows her family of ten to be involved together in her love of animals and competition. Madelynn’s future plans include attending college to major in education and kinesiology in order to play college basketball. She hopes to continue to eventually coach and establish a basketball camp for less fortunate children.

2017 Los Fresnos Rodeo Queen Cara Lisette Cash is the daughter of Todd and Michele Cash of Harlingen.She is a sophomore honor student at Harlingen High School where she is a member of the Harlingen FFA, speech/drama/debate and the PTSA.Through the FFA, she has competed in creed speaking, radio broadcasting, wildlife, and prepared speaking.Her team advanced to state in the wildlife competition.She is the current secretary of the FFA and is the former vice-president.She is also an 8-year member of the Highland Hustlers 4-H Club where she has competed in multiple projects including: foods & nutrition, public speaking, theater arts, and livestock judging.She has held multiple officer positions at the club and county level.Cara won 2 ^nd place at the 4-H State Roundup in Poultry Judging, 2^nd place in the Food Challenge, and 5^th place in Solo Band Performance.Her livestock projects throughout the years include swine, poultry, rabbits and cattle.She has been high point livestock judger at the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show twice.Academics are very important to Cara and she has been in the top percentage of her class for many years.Cara is a proud member of the First Christian Church in Harlingen where she volunteers in various community service projects.She has also participated in the youth praise band and has been a nursery worker.Cara is proud to be representing the Los Fresnos Rodeo as their 2017 Rodeo Queen.

Jordan Taylor Sandoval is the daughter of E.J. and Linda Sandoval of Rio Hondo, Texas. Jordan is a senior at IDEA College Prep of San Benito and is an active student in and out of the classroom. She is a member of Deep River 4-H and Highland Hustlers 4-H clubs.Jordan currently serves as the 2015-2016 Cameron County 4-H Council President. As a proud member of both clubs, Jordan has been fully involved in 4-H for 8 years. Throughout those years, she has exhibited various projects such as cattle, goats, lambs and poultry. She has participated at the local prospect shows, at Cameron County Fair & Livestock Show and the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show and Rodeo. Not only does Jordan show animals, she also competes in the local, county and district livestock judging competitions. She takes part in volunteering in her community. She started the Deep River 4-H Annual Sock Drive collecting socks for Loaves & Fishes Homeless Shelter, she volunteers her time at the annual Cattlemen’s Round-up benefitting Driscoll’s Children’s Hospital, and Smokin on the Rio. She helped sell clovers at the Tractor Supply Company Clover Days benefitting the Cameron County 4-H program. Jordan volunteers at the Country Vet in Combes, Texas where she is working on obtaining her Certified Veterinary Assistant certification. She is the Parliamentarian of the National Honors Society chapter in her school and is Top 15 in her class. Jordan will be attending The University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley in the fall pursuing a degree in Biomedical Sciences and become an Epidemiologist under Veterinary Medicine.

Jordan is proud to be representing the Los Fresnos PRCA Rodeo as their 2016 Rodeo Queen.