DSU alumna crowned Miss Rodeo America

January 10, 2025

Dakota State alumna Callie Mueller's 2024 was packed full of travel and accomplishments, serving as Miss Rodeo South Dakota 2024 and publishing her first children's book "Faith Over Fear." However, 2025 will be even busier as she takes on her duties as Miss Rodeo America.

This is momentum she's been building on the last few years. In 2022, she was crowned Miss Days of '76 Rodeo Queen. In 2023, she graduated from DSU with degrees in elementary education and special education and minors in K-12 reading, K-12 technology, and a kindergarten endorsement.

After winning Miss Rodeo South Dakota, Mueller traveled over 30,000 miles and visited 11 states to educate and promote the western industry and sport of rodeo.

"Throughout 2024, I did put my career of getting a job in education on hold," she explained. "I did substitute teaching when I could, but I had to put a pause on it so I could accomplish these goals and dreams because it's a limited time frame that you can be a rodeo queen."

Participants can only run for Miss Rodeo South Dakota and Miss Rodeo America from ages 21-26, and you can only represent these roles once.

"It's a very short-term, young-adult role," she added.

Even though it's short term, the experience is intense. Before being crowned Miss Rodeo America in December, Mueller went through nine challenging days of competition, which included categories of horsemanship, a written test on equine science and rodeo knowledge, extensive interviews, extemporaneous speaking, and a fashion show.

She particularly enjoyed the horsemanship category and the fashion show. "I love the fashion show because it includes three of my favorite things: music, dancing, and clothes."

"I got to style sponsor clothes, and then I got to highlight one of my own fashion-forward outfits that resembled the South Dakota snow," Mueller added. She won this category, earning the appearance award.

Her background in teaching and education also proved to be beneficial while serving as a rodeo queen over the last several years.

"The mission of Miss Rodeo America is to educate the public on our sport of rodeo, agriculture, and the western industry," she explained. Her teaching background helps her adapt to changes, remain flexible, talk to large crowds, and make rodeo content relatable and easy to understand for people who don't know about it.

As she prepares to travel as Miss Rodeo America, Mueller is excited to share her platform, faith over fear, which is also the title of her children's book. After taking a writing class with Kindra Schneider, she was inspired to share her personal connection with this phrase.

As a senior in high school, Mueller lost one of her best friends to cancer, a girl who lived her life with faith over fear. While writing the book was difficult, she was excited to see the illustrations that were created based on childhood photos of the two friends.

"It was really special for me because even though she's not here with me on earth, I feel like this is something that we've been able to do together," she said.

She's looking forward to championing this message throughout her year as Miss Rodeo America.

"I had one of the best years of my life so far being Miss Rodeo South Dakota, so I'm really looking forward to what God has in store for me as Miss Rodeo America," Mueller said.

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