The Collegiate Peaks Stampede Rodeo crowned 19-year-old Zharria Heinitz as their future queen on Saturday, Sept. 2. Heinitz will take over for Trinity Bowen as Rodeo Queen come January.
Local equestrians showed their riding skills Wednesday at the Chaffee County Fair & Rodeo Open Equine Gymkhana, with categories for peewees (kids 8 and younger), juniors (9-13), seniors (14-18) and adults competing in a variety of events.
Riders competed in barrel racing and the flag race, in which they were timed as they rode to place a flag into a bucket, pick up a flag from another bucket and return to the start.
In the pole event, riders had to weave in and out of a set of poles. In goat roping, adults had to ride, take a goat to the ground and tie the feet. Younger riders simply had to dismount and pull a ribbon off the goat for their timed ride.