McBurney crowned 2024 CJD queen
Published 11:00 am Tuesday, April 23, 2024
- This year's Chief Joseph Days court welcomes Pepper, who at 4½ has been riding horses all her life and hopes to one day be a CJD queen. From left are Princess Colbi Cunningham, Queen Lauren McBurney and Princess Karly Baremore gathered Saturday, April 20, 2024, at the Thunder Room in Joseph.
JOSEPH — In one of the closest-ever competitions, Joseph’s Lauren McBurney was crowned the 2024 Chief Joseph Days Rodeo queen during a dinner gathering Saturday, April 20, at the Thunder Room of the rodeo grounds.
“This was a danged close competition — as close as I can remember,” said Chief Joseph Days Board President Terry Jones, just before the announcement.
She will be joined in her reign by Princesses Karly Baremore and Colbi Cunningham.
The girls competed in three categories: Speaking, riding and ticket sales. McBurney won the speaking competition, Baremore won the riding and Cunningham sold the most tickets.
In fact, Jones said, the girls together set a new record for ticket sales with $172,600.
He noted that they’ll each get a cut of that. They’ll divide a commission of $25,809.
“That’s just so they know we’re not just out there spending their gas,” he said.
Just before the coronation, Jones brought up outgoing Queen Quincee Zacharias to offer some words of wisdom for the new court, with an emphasis on travel tips.
“Remember to take everything wherever you go,” she said, specifically shampoo, makeup and other personal items.
Jones spoke highly of Zacharias’ reign, having had to do the entire job alone.
“Quincee was everything last year,” he said.
McBurney is a sophomore at Joseph Charter School and has been riding since she was about 6 years old. Her mom was Chief Joseph Days queen in 1988 and McBurney has been active in student government and a variety of organizations at school.
Baremore is a 17-year-old senior at Wallowa High School and a lifelong rancher and junior rodeo participant. She has been a Tuckerette for Chief Joseph Days, served in FFA and student government and has been active in school sports.
Cunningham is a 15-year-old sophomore at Joseph Charter School. A native Oregonian, she’s grown up raising cattle, horses, hay and Christmas trees. She, too, is a lifelong rodeo enthusiast and active at school in sports and has a high grade-point average.
About 250 people crowded into the packed Thunder Room and spent about $6,000 on the dinner and auction that followed, according to Miranda Tickner of Chief Joseph Days. The exact amount raised hadn’t been tallied as of Monday.
