April Biernat, a Black Forest resident, was the 2008 Aide to Girl of the West for Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo Days. She has been riding horses since age 11 and was a member of the Pikes Peak Rangerettes for three years.The Girls of the West are ambassadors for Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo Days, in addition to being royalty for the rodeo. The girls made over 100 appearances this summer promoting the 68th Annual Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo, which was held July 9-12 at the Norris-Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs. Their duties included giving promotional speeches at service clubs and community events, giving interviews on television and radio stations, visiting all five military installations in the Pikes Peak region, and riding in parades and rodeos. They are also hostesses for many events held at the Norris-Penrose Event Center.Biernat, 20, will be a sophomore at University of Colorado at Colorado Springs this fall, where she is pursuing a degree in nursing, with plans to specialize as a nurse in an operating room or neonatal department. A Falcon High School graduate, Biernat works as a veterinarian assistant at Colorado Equine Veterinary Services in Peyton.
