Submitted photo

Queen Rylee Wilkinson poses for a photo with the Harney County Fair Board.

by Rylee Wilkinson
for Burns Times-Herald

It’s very exciting to be here and to be a small part of carrying on a tradition 100 years in the making.

My name is Rylee Wilkinson. I’m the daughter of Barry and Tammy Wilkinson. My family owns a ranch in the southern part of Malheur County near the Nevada border. I am proud to be the sixth generation on our amazing family establishment, and I could not imagine being raised any other way.

Last spring, I graduated from Crane Union High School. I am very proud to be the granddaughter of longtime residents Scott and Noel Houck. I have very deep roots here in Harney County that go back generations, starting with my grandparents who follow their parents and their parents before them.

I know that serving Harney County’s fair court is way more involved than riding in parades, grand entries, and smiling and waving to the crowds with a crown on your hat. The important part is honorably representing Harney County, its industries, and its citizens. It’s about the embodiment of the values and traditions that have built the wonderful, diverse place into what it is today.

It’s about a healthy work ethic within that permeates those who choose to live, work, and raise families here. More importantly, it’s about the preservation of the cowboy way of life that most people can only dream about.

Our work ethic shines in all of our agricultural industry from our tallest trees to growing some of the best High Desert beef in all of America. This is something to be very proud of. I learned at a very young age the amount of work that goes into raising good-quality cattle. Long hours in extreme weather conditions are the norm for all of us. Being constantly on guard for dangerous situations is part of the job. Things can go sideways in a second, so I learned to always be ready for anything. I learned this lesson well when my parents gave me two little brothers. I’m now a pro at handling the unexpected.

The fair theme “Boots, Jeans, and Harney County Dreams” is fitting. Levi Strauss received his patent on the first jeans the world had seen in 1873. Fifty years later, when the fair and rodeo got its start in Harney County, jeans were already a basic piece of the uniform that defines a cowboy, cowgirl, rancher, farmer, or buckaroo.

I am so proud to represent the calloused hands of our hardworking citizens who can complete any task that is thrown at them.

It will be an honor to share my love of this place with everyone I meet while traveling around promoting our fair and rodeo. I promise I will do all I can to exemplify the traditions and values that we all share.

I will happily do this while wearing my boots and jeans as I hold on tight to my Harney County dreams.

•••

A Queen’s Race was held during this year’s Harney County Fair & Rodeo.

Any visiting royals and any past royals were welcome to participate. A total of 19 contestants entered the race. Four preliminary races were held, and Wilkinson won her heat. The winners of those races came back and competed against each other to determine the winner of the buckle. Wilkinson came out on top of this race as well.

She had an excellent showing at the fair and rodeo. She has an extremely inviting personality and always has a smile on her face.

Please join us in congratulating Rylee Wilkinson on being crowned the 2024 Harney County Fair Court queen.