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Two Queen Creek residents competed for and were selected to the 2020 Lost Dutchman Days Rodeo royalty court.
Marissa Mansingh, 17, a student at Casteel High School, is the 2020 Lost Dutchman Days queen and Ashley George, 16, a student at Benjamin Franklin High School, is the 2020 Lost Dutchman Days senior teen queen.
Competing unsuccessfully for senior teen queen was Tru Hall, 14, of San Tan Valley, who attends Casteel High School in Queen Creek.
2020 LDD queen
The winner of the queen title receives a $1,000 scholarship that is renewable annually up to four years for a total of $4,000 to the accredited college, university or trade school of her choice. The award will be made available for tuition or books associated with the enrollment, according to the Lost Dutchman Days Rodeo Royalty pageant application packet.
Ms. Mansingh, who was selected 2020 Lost Dutchman Days queen, was also on the 2019 rodeo royalty court.
“I was the senior teen queen this past year and I just loved it so much, so I wanted to be queen,” she said.
She most enjoyed “interacting with the crowd, going to all of the rodeos that I went to,” Ms. Mansingh said.
She plans to major in marketing, first going to Chandler-Gilbert Community College and then to a university, she said.
Each titleholder is required to attend meetings, fundraisers and other rodeo events that are mandatory as Lost Dutchman Days rodeo royalty, according to the packet. It is the duty of each queen to promote Lost Dutchman Days throughout Arizona by attending Lost Dutchman Days-sanctioned events as well as visiting rodeos and pageants in other cities. She is responsible for carrying the title proudly and fulfilling duties assigned by the Lost Dutchman Days Rodeo Royalty Committee to the best of her ability, according to the packet.
Senior teen queen
Ms. George, who was selected as the 2020 Lost Dutchman Days senior teen queen, said she has competed for Navajo County teen queen, which she won for 2019; and Miss Teen Rodeo Arizona. She is on the Southwest Arizona Sisters Inc. drill team.
“I decided to run to represent an amazing committee and rodeo,” she said of Lost Dutchman Days.
She plans to attend school to become a veterinarian.
“I really want to become a large-animal veterinarian. I want to do my undergrad at CAC down in Casa Grande and then I want to go to UofA and do my doctorate degree,” she said.
The Grand Canyon Pro Rodeo Association-sanctioned Lost Dutchman Days Rodeo is Feb. 28-March 1. In addition, all team roping will be run starting at 9 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, at the rodeo grounds. Additional Lost Dutchman Days events include a charity golf tournament Saturday, Feb. 1; the Lost Dutchman Days Annual Bratwurst and Budweiser Party Thursday, Feb. 27; and a rodeo dance Friday. Feb. 28.
For a schedule of events and ticket information, go to lostdutchmandays.org.
Richard Dyer Managing Editor | East Valley @RHDyer
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia, Inc.. USA, since 1987.
Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
He also is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows
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