The 2025 Chief Joseph Days royalty were crowned April 19, 2025, at the Thunder Room in Joseph. From left are Tylee Evans, Jadeyn Perin and Livia DeMelo. Perin was selected as the 2025 queen. (Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain, File

JOSEPH — This year’s queen of the Chief Joseph Days Rodeo court couldn’t be more thrilled than to achieve a lifelong dream.

“I could not be more grateful for representing our hometown rodeo,” said Jadeyn Perin, 18, of Joseph. “I’ve always loved royalty.”

She got introduced to the world of rodeo royalty by her mother, Erica Kasper, who was a princess at the Elgin Stampede in 2004.

“My mom showed me pictures from then and I knew I wanted to be in a rodeo court,” Jadeyn said.

She’s worked at the CJD office for many years and loves the way the rodeo brings the county together.

“I’ve always seen the community come together for it,” she said.

She does have some rodeo royalty experience, which includes serving as the 2023 Eastern Oregon Livestock Show princess, 2024 Asotin County Fair and Hells Canyon Rodeo queen and placing as first runner-up for Miss Teen Rodeo Oregon.

She also has ranching ties in her family. The daughter of Erica and Austin Kasper, her dad’s family owns a ranch near Grangeville, Idaho, on Idaho’s Camas Prairie. Her rodeo experience goes beyond royalty, having competed in pole-bending and barrel-racing in junior rodeo. She’s not competing this year.

She has competed and been active in other endeavors, such as volleyball, basketball, FFA, and FCCLA. But her favorite place is on horseback whether in the show ring, at a rodeo or helping gather cows in the mountains. She also loves camping, fishing, and the outdoors.

She has a brother, Jace, and a baby sister, Kamdyn who is still too young to know if she wants to follow Mom and big sister into the rodeo ring.

But when Jadeyn has her horse still, Kamdyn shows a toddler’s eagerness to sit on the saddle with Jadeyn.

But Jadeyn won’t be alone wearing CJD crowns, as she’ll have her court — 17-year-old Tylee Evans and 15-year-old Livia DeMelo as princesses riding alongside her.

Evans is going into her senior year at Enterprise High School and is the daughter of Teah Jones and T.C. Evans. Raised in Lostine, she’s been an active member of the Enterprise Future Farmers of America Chapter and will serve as a 2025–26 district FFA officer. She also plays varsity volleyball and basketball and competes with the Idaho District 3 Rodeo Association.

DeMelo will be a junior at Joseph Charter School in the fall and is a sixth-generation cowgirl who grew up on her family’s ranch outside of Joseph. She’s the daughter of Caio and Deanna DeMilo and a sister to Amanda, Mia and Nora.

DeMelo has been active in FFA, 4-H, Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, Interact Club and school sports.

In addition to the royalty, others are getting special recognition at this year’s 79th annual rodeo.

• The rodeo itself was, for the third year in a row, named the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Medium Rodeo of the Year.

• CJD founder Harley Tucker is being inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame.

• Tucker’s daughter and her husband, Darlene and Dave Turner, are being inducted into the Saint Paul, Oregon, Rodeo Hall of Fame.