Former Cochrane rodeo Queen receives new crown

From Cochrane royalty to Airdrie royalty, Cochrane's own Kyla Lightfoot has been crowned the 2024 Miss Rodeo Airdrie.

Lightfoot said her new role will be quite similar to how she served as 2023 Cochrane Lions Rodeo Queen, but there are some key differences. 

"Now that I am a Pro title, they do have a little bit more expectations for me, just even knowing my rodeo knowledge. Learning all of that is going to be a little bit different. But it was easy to get back into it, I had a good eight or ten months off and I'm right back under my boots and I'm ready to get down the rodeo trail this summer."     

Kyla Lightfoot has been named 2024 Miss Rodeo Airdrie (photo credit Kaycee Ann Lunde Photography)

The Cochrane resident will take part in over 100 events across Alberta and Saskatchewan over the next year, including the Calgary Stampede next month. 

"There will be about 13 Queens, all of us attending the Calgary Stampede this year. I'll be there for the three days and I will be in the Calgary Stampede Parade again. I will be taking Sammy, who I rode last year, and the only difference is this time I will be in blue, not purple." 

READ: Fulfilling lifelong dream brought tears to Kyla's eyes

The 15-year Cochrane resident has some advice for other young ladies who are interested in getting into the rodeo royalty world. 

"Just reach out to past Queens as well as current Queens. We're all very supportive and we want the rodeo Queen journey to continue for many years to come. Just have the courage to get into it, it's a really hard thing to do and it takes a lot of courage but myself as somebody who used to be not very confident and not able to speak to people that I didn't know, and now look at where I am. It's all thanks to rodeo queening."

Lightfoot attends MacEwan University in Edmonton where she just completed her first year of her Bachelor of Communications with a major in Journalism. 

Eric Ruttle, Kyla Lightfoot, Lauren Meister