SEVEN beautiful young women from the Rupununi in Region Nine, will compete for the crown in this year’s ‘Miss Digicel Rupununi Ranchers’ Rodeo’ pageant, a feature of the annual rodeo in Lethem which has come to be one of the most exciting events in this part of the country.

“These are young women who are brave, strong, kind, and beautiful, who are going up to represent the Rupununi. We are very proud of their progress, their participation, and dedication to this event,” the rodeo committee expressed about the delegates.

The rodeo pageant will be held on Friday night from 19:00 hrs and delegates will, for the first time, be showcasing their horse riding, bull whip cracking and lassoing skills.

“We’d like to introduce our first cowgirl for 2024, Delegate # 1 Keren Flemming from St. Ignatius village, aged 17,” the committee shared. This delegate is being sponsored by Puran Brothers Inc.

Delegate #2, La Quisha George, aged 17, of Tabatinga is being sponsored by Cassiano’s Eye Wear, whereas the third cowgirl, delegate # 3, is Michel Laud, aged 17, from Aishalton village and is sponsored by Sheriff Security Service.

Delegate #4 is Suesweh Winter, 21, from Aishalton village, is sponsored by Sheik’s trading, while delegate #5 is Naomi Foo, 20, from Aishalton village, and is sponsored by Silver D Ranch.

Attisha Eusebio, 18 is delegate #6 from Shulinab village, sponsored by Sarah Allicock, while delegate #7 is Elina Buckley, 21, from Tabatinga, Lethem, is sponsored by Bad Monkey.

With improved planning and organisation to make for a nice, easy and smoother flow of the various activities billed for Rodeo 2024, Central Lethem will come alive this Easter weekend – March 29-31 – with the approximately 10,000 visitors who usually show up for the event.
Several sub-committees have been formed with support teams to ensure that every single aspect of the event is well cared for, and the mostly volunteers who put in the work are doing a great job so far, Rodeo Coordinator, Rayson O’Connell, told this publication.

In the interest of efficiency and better time management, the organisers have decided that this year, the presentation of prizes will be done right after each event instead of doing them all at once at night. This cuts out the long prize-giving ceremony usually held at the end of the day.