After two rescheduled dates because of cold, fog, ice ñ you-name-it-weather ñ the contest to crown the El Paso County Fair queen took place April 6.ìWe had a beautiful day, finally,î said Pam Dawson, organizer of the contest. ìIt was warm and sunny. I have been doing this a number of years and have never had to reschedule it, let alone two times.îThree young women entered the competition this year and one dropped out so only two vied for the title.Dawson said both women were good competitors, but the crown went to the two-time runner up (2011 and 2012), Molly Engleman, age 22, of Falcon. Dawson said she hopes that Englemanís perseverance will encourage others to come out and keep trying. Cheyenne Bilodeau, age 21, of Fountain was the 2013 runner up. Engleman is the daughter of Bill and Linda Engelman. She has been riding horses for 10 years and owns three. As a member of Country-style 4H for five years, Engleman received many awards and honors.The women had to compete in four different categories: horsemanship, public speaking, application and personal interview. Engleman said horsemanship was the hardest for her because her horse is young. ìThe horsemanship part is (that) you have to ride in a pattern,î she said. ìMy horse is young, and I wasnít sure what he was going to do. We practiced a lot and then he just started doing it on his own during the competition, which worked out but isnít really what you want.îAs the queen, Engleman will attend functions such as the street breakfast and Territory Days to promote the El Paso County fair, which takes place July 20 through July 27.
