Lauren Terry, senior in animal sciences production management, rounded up respect in 2013 during her year as Miss Rodeo USA (MRUSA) - the spokesperson for the International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA).
The Moulton native won the crown in January of 2013 and spent the year traveling the Southeast.
Lauren promoted the IPRA at rodeos and through radio and television appearances; she also promoted her platform "Roundup Respect."
"I chose that platform because I feel like our nation, and society as a whole, is lacking a sense of respect," Lauren said. "Kids don't get taught respect at home anymore."
During her visits to schools, Lauren taught the importance of manners, such as saying "yes ma'am" and "no ma'am" and of not interrupting teachers.
In addition to a platform, each contestant (who must be between 19 and 26 years old) prepared two speeches, answered impromptu questions, displayed his or her knowledge about horses and the IPRA, modeled and displayed horsemanship.
Lauren rode 36 horses at MRUSA appearances throughout 2013.
"If your horsemanship isn't good to begin with, it sure will be when you finish," Lauren said with a laugh.
Lauren also got to ride a horse in the five-mile, 2014 Rose Bowl Parade with the All American Cowgirl Chicks.
Lauren grew up with an arena in her backyard and has loved horses since she was 15 months old, according to Marsha Terry, Lauren's mother.
Every morning when she was little, Lauren would wake up and ask to go see one of the horses at their barn.
"I was kind of born into horses and rodeo, and it's my life," Lauren said.
Lauren started rodeo pageants at age 10 with the encouragement of a friend.
Dakota Missildine, Lauren's friend, won the Miss Limestone Sheriff's Rodeo pageant, as well as the MRUSA pageant in 2009.
Missildine's success and journey to the crown sparked Lauren's interest in competing for MRUSA.
In 2011, four points separated Lauren from the Miss Limestone crown, but, in 2012, she competed again and won.
The MRUSA competition began the afternoon of Jan. 14, 2013, in Oklahoma City when the girls turned in their cellphones, told their parents and teams goodbye and met their randomly selected roommate.
"Are we ready for this?" was a thought Marsha Terry had while she travelled across Arkansas to the pageant with her father, Keith,and sister, Kaitlin.
Tuesday and Wednesday during pageant week, the girls competed in speeches and modeling sessions at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill.
The contestants modeled outfits from Rockabilly Filly and Addicted clothing, as well as one personal outfit.
Friday, the girls were woken up in the middle of the night for a surprise impromptu interview. Lauren had only been asleep for about 30 minutes.
"I grabbed my number and my coat and out the door I went," Lauren said. "They did this interview to see how you reacted if you were not in all your regalia."
Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013, Lauren was crowned MRUSA. During the first six months of her reign, Lauren lived at home and commuted to rodeos. In June, she moved to Pauls Valley, Oklahoma.
Debbie Blakely, director of Miss Limestone Sheriff's Rodeo pageant, was pleased with Lauren's growth and success as MRUSA.
"She grew from just a young teenager to a very beautiful and mature, Christian young woman," Blakely said.
Blakely said one the impromptu questions Lauren answered at the local pageant is one of his favorite memories of Lauren.
"Here's this beautiful, feminine young lady standing onstage, and suddenly she says, 'I'm going to have my own slaughterhouse,'" Blakely said.
Since completing her year as MRUSA, Lauren is back at Auburn University where she plans to graduate in December, has purchased her first-ever student football tickets and has continued her job at the meat lab - where she was first inspired to open a slaughterhouse.
Even though she is unsure about her future, Lauren, a self-proclaimed homebody who learned to survive away from home during her first year at Auburn, said, "If I hadn't come to Auburn... I probably wouldn't have become Miss Rodeo USA."
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