The sport of rodeo brings together professional cowboys and cowgirls competing for national crowns and prize money all across the country.

But the sport also brings young cowgirls competing for the Miss Rodeo Kansas crown.

This year marks the 40th year for the Miss Rodeo Kansas pageant competition. In those 40 years, competing for the crown has not changed. The young women are judged on horsemanship, personality, appearance as well as knowledge of rodeo.

"Horsemanship is the most important element of the competition because when the queen goes to rodeos she is asked to carry the flag to running calves out, so they have to be able to ride a horse," said Shirley Bogner, state delegate for Miss Rodeo Kansas.

In 1963 the first Miss Rodeo Kansas was crowned at the Flint Hills Rodeo. Since that time the competition and crowning has taken place at many different rodeos in the state, but since 1987 the pageant has taken place in conjunction with the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo.

Each year the pageant has grown to as many as 15 competing for the crown in a given year. But in 1992 the Dodge City pageant committee decided they wanted to get the younger girls and teenagers involved in the pageant. So they developed the Miss Rodeo Kansas Princess Pageant.

"We thought this would get some younger girls interested in the pageant," Bogner said.

Those who run for the Miss Rodeo Kansas Princess Pageant compete in the same events as those competing for Miss Rodeo Kansas. And while they receive a title they are not required to travel to all of the events in the state that Miss Rodeo Kansas does, however they are welcome to if they wish.

While there have been many different contestants competing in the past, Bogner said it is becoming more difficult to find women who want to run.

"It is getting harder to get contestants and I am not sure if it is the economy or the girls are learning how much it costs (if they are crowned)," Bogner said.

Bogner said it is not unusual for someone to spend up to $20,000 of their own money to compete, which includes clothes but doesn't include a horse, pickup and trailer.

Bogner said to compete for Miss Rodeo American in Las Vegas the contestant has got to have fancy clothes.

"There are girls competing that are wearing $1,500 leather outfits," Bogner said. "But we have a lot of contestants who will buy or borrow outfits from previous contestants because some of those outfits they wear in Vegas only once. But there are still some mothers who make a lot of their daughters outfits for them, but you don't see it as much anymore."

Once a contestant is crowned Miss Rodeo Kansas during Dodge City Days, the title will begin Jan. 1, 2004. And for the next year they will spend many weeks and weekends on the road traveling to rodeos and speaking at public events, and even schools about the sport of rodeo and the state.

Some of the past queens have traveled to other state rodeos including Cheyenne, Wyo., and Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

"Whoever wants the queen to come and talk is where they will go," Bogner said. "The title is glamorous, but it is hard work being on the road four to five days a week."

And while it takes a lot of time and energy to be queen it can pay off in the end.

"You can learn a lot and you meet a lot of people," Bogner said. "Some of the past queens have even gotten jobs through people they have met."