Day 3 Miss SD: How Cow Shows are like Pageants!

Day 3 at the Miss South Dakota Pageant was super busy with production items. During the breaks, we all get to talking and I was telling someone how preparing for a pageant is like preparing for a dairy show. For those of you who are not from the cow world, you will think I'm crazy, but those of you who have shown might see where I'm coming from.

Pre-Show/Pre-Pageant:
Before the show you work constantly with your heifers on walking, just as a pageant contestant does with her swim suit and evening gown walks. Your heifers must keep their head high and strut their stuff, just like a contestant in the pageant. Also when you practice setting up your heifer, you emphasis her strengths and fix her weaknesses, exactly like when contestants pick swimsuit posses. You also work on slimming down your heifers to make sure that she is in the right condition and we are in the gym everyday, also watching what we eat. Then before the show you shave your heifer to show off her strengths and femininity. The pageant girls shave their legs to make them look as sleek and feminine as possible.

Miss America 2015, Kira Kazantsev, showing off all the work she put in for her walk.

Show/Pageant Day:
You get up early, shower to make sure you are fresh and clean, ready to go. Then you spend quite a bit of time doing your hair and make-up, to help emphasis your strengths and hide your weaknesses. Showmen get up early (or don't go to bed at all), give the cows bathes, then style the hair on their spine, or "top line," to make her look as straight across her back as possible, as well as sharper (thinner) throughout. We even rat our cows tails like a good number of pageant girls will do to their hair.

My heifer, Rio, showing her style off with that straight top line and sleek black coat after winning.

In Ring/On Stage:
You get out their and let all of your hard work show, strutting and showing off all of the skills you have honed. And if something goes wrong, you smile and let the judge(s) see who you are and the work you've put in.

My sister, Laura, supporting me through everything.

Support:
Both of these amazing activities would not be the same without all of the support. In my show life, as well as my pageant life, my family has been the key to my success. I could not have made it this far without any of them. Tomorrow I will go more in-depth on this, but I cannot thank them enough so why not thank them in this blog post too?

Day Two at Miss South Dakota

This morning started out so wonderful, as we got to hang out with our little sisters. My little sister, Olivia, is quite the amazing young lady. We actually have a lot in common, we both love purple and have black labs. However, she has the talent to dance and I do not. I am a little jealous of that skill, hopefully I can summon some of that for the dances Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

After taking a picture for the Hot Springs news paper. We headed to the State's Vets Home. We heard so many amazing stories from those who served our country, including a wonderful woman, Wanda, who was a World War II veteran. I was so inspired by their stories, as they defied death and protected our freedoms and this great Country we love.

The wonderful Wanda.

The rest of the day was a lot of rehearsals. I have choreographically danced more since becoming a contestant in the Miss America system in the last four months than I have in my entire life. But it is so fun to see how much progress we all are making. I am so excited for everyone to see it and for those of you who are not able to attend, I will get a DVD so we can watch it later! Good night everyone. I will talk to you all Tuesday night.

Day 1 at Miss South Dakota

Good evening everyone. Well day 1 at the Miss South Dakota pageant week has come and gone. I cannot believe that the pageant is already here! So crazy how fast time flies when you're having fun!

A picture of all the girls that I got on the Miss SD Organization Facebook page.

Today was a lot of dancing, reteaching us all of the dances that we learned at pre pageant. As I am not a dancer, this has been a whole new experience, but I enjoy learning from those who are fortunate enough to be gifted with the ability to move. I think my favorite part of today was just getting to hang out with the other girls. It is so nice to talk with people who have been on the same page as me. We all have been working our butts off, between our jobs, preparing for the pageant, and many other things. It's nice to hang out with others who completely understand where I'm coming from.

I am so excited and honored to be here with these amazing women. No matter what happens Saturday, only one of us will walk away with a crown, but everyone will leave with so much gained. Please keep up with our adventures on the Miss South Dakota Organization Facebook page, as well as my own Miss Brookings Maggie Stiles page.

Why Should You Vote For Me?

I have taken the liberty to ask all of you fine people to vote for me for People's Choice for Miss South Dakota, at http://www.misssd.org/index.php/maggie-stiles-miss-brookings. However, I suppose I have just assumed that you all would like my Facebook posts enough or know me well enough and vote for me. So today I decided to give you some reasons why you should vote for me for only $1, just in case you were unsure. 

Here is a picture from my video!

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10207042826660100&set=vb.1563284829&type=2&theater

If you click on the link above you can watch a less than two minute video on why you should vote for me! Enjoy! And feel free to share with friends!

And you do not want to vote for me, please just vote in general! All the money raised goes to give scholarships to young women all across South Dakota. Thank you!

Do You Have Any Pets?

I have the most amazing little puppy in the whole world. Diesel is almost nine months old and she is a Black Lab/Australian Shepherd mix. Ever since I left for college, I have wanted to get a dog, you know to have on late nights studying, early mornings studying, and to snuggle with at night. However, the right situation never came up and I did not want to spend a lot of money on one. Then one day, one of my friends came across an adorable little puppy at his work. The owner of this cute little guy was trying to get the word out that these people had three more puppies for free and were going to kill them by the end of the week if no one took them.

A very scared baby Diesel when we brought her home.

As soon as I heard this, I started to make plans to get a puppy. I then immediately called the original owners and set up a time and place to meet them. When they arrived, they handed me this adorable puppy who was shaking, she was so scared of people and had ringworm on her head. They had not taken very good care of her, but she has been in the best of hands ever since.

Diesel and I after a good run!

She is now a very spoiled, cuddlable, bundle of joy and energy. I could not imagine my life without my little girl. Coming home would not be the same without my happy greeter. I am so blessed to have an amazing buddy and companion.

What Does Your Family Think?

I get asked how my family feels about me doing pageants all the time. So I thought I'd let each person in my family get the chance to write how they feel about their Maggie competing for Miss South Dakota.

In front of my Butterhead with my amazing family.

Mom:
It has been a very exciting time! I have learned that there is so much more involved in the organization than I ever thought.  I am so proud of Maggie and her determination and dedication to this program!!  It's been a fun ride and I can't wait to see how it all turns out!!!!

Dad:
It has made me very proud to see Maggie become the incredible woman she is. I love to see her at her appearances interacting with everyone.

Katie:
I am very proud to be Maggie's older sister.  The appearances she has done show just what an amazing person she is.  Though I know it has been a long and hard journey for her, she has worked incredibly hard to get where she is and I know she will shine in the Miss South Dakota pageant.  I love her and hope the best for her.

Laura:
It makes me very proud to call Maggie my older sister, she is an amazing girl and a hard worker.  Having Maggie be crowned Miss Brookings really opened my eyes to the Miss America Organization and all the hard work they do. Seeing Maggie do appearances all across Brookings just shows what a hard worker and amazing lady she is. I am so glad I get to be on this journey with her.

I am so lucky to have such as amazing family and support system behind me! I know that no matter how it turns out, they will still be cheering like the crazy fans they are and I love.

Why pageants and the Miss America system?

When I was 18 years old, Betty Thompson, Miss Oklahoma 2011 and 1st Runner Up to Miss America 2012, came and spoke to a room full of Minnesota county Dairy Princesses at our May Event. We were all so taken back that this gorgeous beauty queen was a farm girl and promoting milk, just like us. She instantly became a celebriting to me and someone I aspired to be. Although after that, the Miss America Organization got pushed to the back of my mind because I was so focused on being a dairy princess and then a college student. However, Betty Thompson did tweet back at me with some bottled milk resource links for a speech I did in school, I was pretty pumped!

When Betty Thompson spoke at May Event.

Then one day I overheard some girls at school talking about the Miss SDSU pageant. I thought "huh, that sounds fun" and I thought of the great stories I had heard at May Event from the wonderful Miss America contestant. But then I went home, saw cookies and decided I did not want to diet. So again, it slipped my mind, until unfortunately my best friend's mom passed away and my boyfriend's aunt was injured at work. I was driving home from the funeral when it hit me, life is so short and I need to make the most of it for myself and those around me. So I contacted the director of the pageant, which was a week away, and she was thrilled to have another girl sign up.

I love getting to work with the older generations.

At South Dakota's Miss Amazing pageant!

Why is this pageant system for this farm girl who's a tomboy? Because I love helping people and promoting chocolate milk. The joy that it brings me when I get to see the people around me light up simply because a queen stopped to talk to them, is priceless. The countless hours I get to go to the gym and work my body is so good for my overall health and confidence. I am so lucky to be able to use my fully functioning body. And of course, the scholarship I will receive for being Miss Brookings will help me to fund part of my education at South Dakota State next year! I also hope to inspire young women to follow their passions like Betty Thompson inspired me. So after reading this, my question to you is why not?