After next week, Adel native Jenna Kool will either have a lot more free time or responsibilities, as she prepares to compete in the Miss Rodeo America Pageant in Las Vegas.

Kool was crowned Miss Rodeo Iowa 2018 last September, and spent the last year traveling around the country in that role. All of that has led to the national competition, which will run between December 2-9 and will pit her against 27 winners from other states. The contestants will compete in a variety of categories, ranging from impromptu speaking to horsemanship. Kool is optimistic of her chances, and describes what the next year would be like if she wins the crown. “Miss Rodeo America starts in Las Vegas, so they don’t really have a lady in waiting. And it would be just like Miss Rodeo Iowa, but ten times more. So I’ve heard from previous Miss Rodeo Americas that they get to be home less than 30 days out of the entire year. So you really just get booked from appearance to appearance, but you only have one year so you might as well make the most of it!”

Once she returns to normal life, which will either be after next week or a year from now, Kool will be working at Oklahoma State University, her alma mater, in the admissions department. She encourages any girls to reach out to her or others who have been through the pageants if they have interest in holding the title of Miss Rodeo Iowa in the future, and emphasizes they should always chase their dreams. To hear more from Kool, listen to today’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program on air and at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.