Smithfield's Danielle Forster eager to be crowned Miss Rodeo Nebraska (2024)

Danielle Forster of Smithfield has spent many weekends on the road since being crowned the Miss Rodeo Nebraska Lady-in-Waiting at the 2024 Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte June 12.

Forster has been the rodeo queen at Seven Valley Rodeo in Callaway, Dawson County Fair and Rodeo in Lexington, Cheyenne County Fair and Rodeo in Sidney, Elwood Rodeo, Sheridan County Fair and Rodeo in Gordon, Kimball PRCA Rodeo and the Cherry County Fair and Rodeo.

Forster will step into the role of Miss Rodeo Nebraska on Jan. 4, 2025, after her coronation ceremony in Holdrege.

“I am really excited to get to have my coronation close to where I grew up,” said Forster. “It makes it really special since I used to go to Holdrege a couple times a week to ride horses.”

After three days of Miss Rodeo Nebraska competition, Forster sat atop her grandpa Joe Phillips’ big palomino horse named Ringo in the middle of the Buffalo Bill Arena anxiously waiting to hear her name called.

Then it happened: The announcer called out her name as the next Miss Rodeo Nebraska.

“There was a lot of adrenaline and I said to myself, ‘Oh my gosh, it finally happened’,” said Forster. “A lot of emotions really ran through my body at once.”

Forster’s platform for her reign next year is “aspire to inspire.”

“I really want to work to aspire the next generation of agriculture,” she said.

While talking about her favorite part of being at rodeos as a queen, Forster said, “Taking that little moment with a kid on a fence or signing an autograph. Being a role model is kind of my favorite thing that really makes it worth it.”

This is Forster’s eighth title over the past 10 years of rodeo queen competitions.

Forster started at the age of 14 when she won her first title as the 2014 Elwood Rodeo Queen during her hometown Rodeo.

The 2018 Elwood High School graduate went on to win the Southwest Nebraska Junior Queen title in 2016, Central Nebraska Queen in 2017, Southwest Nebraska Queen in 2018, Phillipsburg Rodeo Queen in 2019-20, Kimball Rodeo Queen in 2022 and the Oregon Trail Rodeo Queen in 2023.

Forster graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in May 2022 with an undergraduate degree in animal science with an equine focus.

In December, Forster will graduate with her master’s degree in Animal Science Extension Education from UNL.

As a part of her master’s degree, she was a horse judging coach for UNL over the past two years and was also a part of the Animal Science Graduate Student Association as well as a couple of other programs.

“It was really fun to be apart of all those programs,” said Forster. “Being able to network and meet new people all over at competitions was amazing.”

Her hopes for the future will be to have a career in county Extension education to work with 4-H programs.

Growing up in rural Nebraska, Forster was no stranger to life on the farm.

She started in the Gosper County 4-H club at 9 years old where she showed horses, cattle, goats, rabbits, chickens, and static exhibits such as sewing, baking and photography.

“I was very lucky to get to grow up with all of the animals and everything. So being able to share that with other people to make sure the they are interested in it and this lifestyle gets to continue is kind of my big ‘why,’” said Forster.

In high school, Forster participated in extracurricular activities such as volleyball, basketball, track, speech team, dinner theater, FCCLA, Future Problem Solvers, National Honors Society and FFA.

“I think that being on the speech team definitely helped me, because I was really shy growing up,” Forster said. “It 100% has helped me in rodeo queening contests.”

At her hometown rodeo in Elwood June 26, the Elwood Rodeo Club auctioned off a belt buckle to raise money for Forster’s upcoming year of travel as Miss Rodeo Nebraska.

The Rodeo Club stated it would match up to $2,500 in addition to what the auction buckle was sold for.

“When Zobeth told me they were doing that for me, I was almost too stunned to speak,” said Forster.

Kelly and Carol Gydesen bought the buckle first for $1,200; then they resold it for a second round. B and B Veterinary Service out of Lexington and Elwood purchased it for $1,200 the second time. The Rodeo Club matched that at $2,400 for a total of $4,800.

Although Forster was unable to attend the second night of the Elwood Rodeo, she talked about receiving the call from her mother, Kim Phillips Forster, after her late night at a rodeo in Gordon.

“I’m so grateful to live in a small town and have that support from surrounding communities and businesses,” she said.