Miss Rodeo America 2020 is Jordan Tierney of South Dakota

Just before first runner-up was called, Jordan Tierney and Hannah Leib clasped each other’s hands and bowed their heads together onstage at the Tropicana theater.

The pair were the last contestants who could be named Miss Rodeo America 2020. When the emcee announced Leib as the runner-up, both women burst into tears and embraced.

Tierney stood in her lime green gown as last year’s winner, Taylor McNair of Mississippi, passed the gold and amazonite tiara to Tierney to adorn her cowgirl hat on Sunday. The blue-eyed redhead also won the appearance category of the contest.

“Growing up, I was always held to the same standards as my brothers: You get out there; you work. Also when you come in, you work just as hard,” Tierney said onstage. “I am a hard worker.”

She’s the 64th woman to be crowned Miss Rodeo America in a pageant that combines traditional categories, such as personality and appearance, with horsemanship and a written test.

Tierney, a South Dakota native, was crowned Miss Rodeo in her state for 2019, is a competitive barrel racer and has been involved in rodeo for most of her life. She earned a degree in business administration from Chadron State College in Nebraska in 2017.

The Miss Rodeo America pageant is held annually in conjunction with the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. Miss Rodeo America serves as an ambassador for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

“I have such a love for the sport that has been able to take men and women that come from nothing and make them influential people,” Tierney said.

Miss Rodeo contestants crowned in 27 states spent their week in Las Vegas competing for the national title. Contestants completed a written test and competed in horsemanship, appearance, speech, personality and photogenics.

Runner-up Leib, Miss Rodeo Washington, was awarded a scholarship for her academic achievements. Second runner-up was Eva Oliver, Miss Rodeo Nebraska, scored highest on the written test and won the speech category.

The horsemanship category went to Rachael Ostrem of Iowa, while Kodi Smalygo of Oklahoma was named most photogenic. Miss Rodeo Kansas, Brooke Wallace, won the personality category and was named miss congeniality.

The Miss Rodeo America Scholarship Foundation also awards scholarships to the national winner, runners-up and winners of individual categories. The foundation awarded more than $90,000 in scholarships at this year’s pageant.

The Miss Rodeo America pageant was founded in 1955, hosted in Las Vegas throughout the 1960s and ’70s before returning to the city in 1985.

“I always live by the quote, ‘For you are fearfully and wonderfully made, and I know your works very well,’” Tierney said. “I want to exude that in the way I carry myself as Miss Rodeo America and make meaningful impacts with those around me, because we don’t have a long time on this earth, but your impact can be a big one.”

Contact Max Michor at mmichor@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0365. Follow @MaxMichor on Twitter.