Local competitors

Rica MacAlvey, 18, of Galt, has been riding horses competitively since she was 11. She was recently crowned princess of the La Grange Rodeo and was second princess of the 2007 Clements Stampede.

In addition to the glamour being a rodeo princess brings, MacAlvey enjoys competing because it brings people together.

MacAlvey, who graduated from Galt High School earlier this month, hopes to improve enough in the next few years to compete in the 2012 Olympics. She wants to participate in equestrian events such as reining and is already a part of the West Coast Reining Horse Association.

In the fall, MacAlvey will attend California State University, Sacramento where she hopes to earn a bachelor's degree in public relations.

The rodeo is helping MacAlvey reach her goal to work in public relations because she is required to give speeches in front of hundreds of people about her hopes for Stockton and the surrounding area.

Hard work and practice for the rodeo is something MacAlvey is used to after so many years around horses.

"I have a passion for horses," MacAlvey said. "We were raised in the barn."

Megan MacIsaac, 18, of Lodi, grew up around horses and remembers asking for one for her birthday as a child. Her mother compromised and MacIsaac began riding lessons.

She graduated from Liberty High School in 2007 and currently attends Cosumnes River Community College.

In 2007, MacIsaac was crowned queen of the Clements Stampede and has been working toward the Stockton Rodeo Queen Title since January.

"It's all about setting a date and working toward that date," MacIsaac said. "It gets really tough but it also is really fun."

For MacIsaac, learning how to multi-task has been one of the greatest lessons learned in the rodeo so far.

"You have to be involved with kids, but then 20 minutes later, you are working with the cows," MacIsaac said of the various youth programs the pageant queen will work with.