2022 MANAWA RODEO QUEEN

Ashley Johnson

Hey Rodeo Fans!

My name is Ashley Johnson and I have been blessed to serve as your 2022 Mid-Western Rodeo Queen. I currently live on a farm in Weyauwega with beef cattle, sheep, mules, horses, pigs, and other small farm animals. I am currently enrolled at the Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton. I will be transferring to UW River Falls in two years to major in Agriculture Education to become an Agriculture Teacher and an FFA Advisor. Teaching others about Agriculture is my passion and I am extremely excited for my future.

There are five siblings in my family, and we have always been actively involved on the farm since we were born. I love working on the farm as well as being active in my local FFA Chapter. Outside of the FFA, I also showed horses at the Waupaca County Fair and with the WF Equestrian Team. My love for the equine industry started at a very young age, as my father had me riding a mule before I could walk. I grew up trail riding with our mammoth mules, and eventually I fell in love with horses.

I didn’t grow up in a rodeo family, but every year we always went to the Mid-Western Rodeo in Manawa and I loved it! At one of the rodeo performances, I was volunteering, and I started to have a fruitful conversation with a man named Joe from the Manawa Lions Club. I told him it would be my dream to be a part of the Pink Ribbon Rebels Drill Team. Later in the performance he introduced me to a Pink Ribbon Rebel teammate which was completely unexpected but, it changed my life forever.

I sold my original horse and bought a quarter horse that I could use for the drill team as well as barrel racing. I have been a part of the drill team for three years and I fell in love with barrel racing! The way my life changed from showing at fair and trail riding to performing at rodeos is quite unbelievable. The horsemanship skills and rodeo knowledge I have learned is truly incredible and I owe it all to the Joe.

This past year, I decided it would be a great idea to run for the Mid-Western Rodeo Queen title because I wanted to give back to this amazing organization that has truly changed my life forever. Looking back, I never would have been here if it wasn’t for the Mid-Western Rodeo and for that I just want to say thank you. Thank you to the Ziebell family for putting on this amazing event every year. I would also like to thank the Rodeo Committee, Manawa Lions Club, and everyone else who volunteers to make this rodeo a success! Thank you to my parents and siblings for being extremely supportive throughout this amazing journey. Last of all, thank YOU rodeo fans for supporting the Mid-Western Rodeo year after year and truly making this the greatest show on dirt!

I can’t wait to see all of you at this year’s rodeo!

Ashley Johnson

2022 Mid-Western Rodeo Queen