“I wanted to be a rodeo queen since I was a little girl. For my eighth birthday party, the theme was rodeo queens. Lainey Parker, queen at the time, came for a surprise visit. That was it for me. From that day, I knew I wanted to be a queen myself, and here I am,” Morgan Crouse said.
Morgan grew up riding her horses at their boarding facility. She spent all of her free time crafting her skills and taking care of her animals. “This has always been my escape. I leave my phone in the truck and get one-on-one time with my animal. If I’m having a bad day, I go to the barn. If something amazing happens, I want to go to the barn to celebrate. I can be me here,” she said.
Unfortunately, just two months before her queen competition, her long-time four-legged partner, Jack, died. Morgan was still committed to her dreams and switched to Smart Lil Chilli Pepper. “Pepper is a 17-year-old American Quarter Horse. He was a ranch horse and definitely wasn’t used to the rodeo industry, but he’s done so well. We really do make the best team,” she said.
Her dream finally came true. Morgan was named the 2022 Larimer County Fair & PRCA Rodeo Queen. She’s spent the year representing the fair and being an ambassador for the industry; her term will conclude at this year’s fair. Morgan has had a jam-packed year of some of the best experiences of her life and she’s never been more grateful for an opportunity than this one.
“I grew up in a neighborhood. I didn’t have the privilege of growing up on a farm, but I’ve always loved horses and I knew this was what I wanted to do. I have the most supportive, loving parents and they made this happen,” she said. “Through it all, I never gave up and it’s been nothing short of amazing.”
“Being queen has made me more passionate about this industry and the community I live in. I’m so thankful to everyone who has supported me and for making this possible. I cannot wait for the fair!”
The Role and Responsibility of the Queen
As the Larimer County & PRCA Rodeo Queen, Morgan has spent more than 300 hours on the job.
Western Heritage
As queen, Morgan’s primary role is to represent the sport of rodeo and foster a love for Western heritage. She is the official face of the Larimer County Fair and her duties include attending fair parades, public speaking engagements, rodeos, and events throughout the state, concluding with her own fair and rodeo.
Sponsorship Support
The fair and the royalty is made possible through the generosity of their sponsors. As queen, Morgan attends many business events and makes official appearances throughout the community to thank and support the businesses who support the fair and the fair royalty.
Community Outreach
Morgan’s favorite part of her role as queen is inspiring a love of the Western lifestyle in young children. She attends many school events and community events to meet local youth and educate them about agriculture. “I recently attended an event with 1,300 fourth graders. I could just see the stars in their eyes. Their inspiration makes it all worth it,” she said.
Larimer County Fair
As the 2022 fair queen, Morgan will have a busy two weeks serving the community. She will attend the parade, carry flags and shag cattle in the rodeo performances, attend award ceremonies, and meet the public during the two-week event. She will also help facilitate the queen contest to determine the 2023 queen.