Cowboy hats off to the Superior Lions for doing their part in making a traditional summer event as best as they could during an abnormal year.

No Mineral County Fair or ‘Go for the Gold’ Rodeo, but a small gathering took place at the rodeo grounds for the crowning of rodeo royalty July 29.

“This pandemic has knocked the wind out of us, but we were not going to let this go by the wayside,” said Shawn Heyer, Lions Volunteer/Lead Cowpoke.

The judges, Roberta Ball and Lynda Pike, had clipboards in hand as the three contestants rode into the arena.

The reining Rodeo Princess, Darby Haskins, was watching from the corral as her cousin, Heather Haskins, 13; Isabella Pereira, 15 and Bailey Hansen, 13 came in all gussied up on their steeds to perform their riding skills and be verbally quizzed on their rodeo knowledge.

For Pereira, this was her first-time riding in front of people, her mother Gina said.

“We moved here from Cape Cod, Massachusetts five years ago so this is still relatively new for Isabella.”

If she were nervous it didn’t show as Pereira put on a terrific performance. Her trainer, Lorna Job, said that she was a quick learner and has done very well since they paired up in late 2019.

All three Princess and Junior Princess contestants had submitted their essays earlier on what this title would mean to them and agreed to being the face of the Superior Lions representing them in public events, parades, rodeos and television interviews for the next year if they were to be selected.

This evening was the final exhibition of Riding a Pattern; Riding with a Flag and Riding while Performing the Queen Wave. 45 minutes after it began, Heyer sauntered across the dirt arena to the family and friends of the trio and made the announcement that Heather Haskins would be crowned the new Princess, Bailey Hansen would be the Junior Princess and Isabella took the honor of alternate Princess as back up for the other two if conflicting engagements should arise.

Darby Haskins automatically moved to the title of Queen as Heyer presented her with a Queen tiara and a new Princess tiara to Heather, both made by Montana Silversmiths and paid for by Brooke Lincoln and the $50,000 Silver Dollar Bar in Haugan. Most years when there are gate receipts from the rodeo, the Queen and Princess also receive a cash award but everyone in the arena understood that 2020 was an anomaly and just having a Queen, Princess, Junior Princess and an Alternate Princess was keeping this cinched together for better times next summer.