Jenna Whitaker Hirschi

It’s not difficult to spot this year’s Miss Rodeo Utah in a crowd.

She’s the striking, green-eyed blonde with a million-dollar smile.

Jenna Whitaker, 18,. won the golden crown in front of a cheering crowd July 24 at Ogden Stadium, home of the Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo, the capstone event of Utah’s top statehood celebration.

Whitaker, the daughter of Dave and Carla Whitaker of Kaysville, is a graduate of Davis High School and is attending Weber State University with a scholarship she won at the Miss Rodeo Utah pageant.

Whitaker, who represented Utah with pride at the Miss Rodeo America pageant in December during the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, enjoys wakeboarding, water skiing, reading, playing the piano, and teaching horseback riding lessons to children.

“When I was a young girl I remember watching the rodeos and telling myself that when I grew up I wanted to be a rodeo queen. As I have gotten older and that dream has transformed into a reality, rodeo has become an even greater part of my life. I have not only fallen in love with the rodeo family I have attained, but also with the sport in and of itself,” Whitaker says.

“My hope is that today’s generation will be given the unique opportunity to find the support, the love, and even more importantly, themselves, in this incredible sport. As Miss Rodeo Utah I plan to devote my whole self to being sure that that opportunity is presented to all those who have dreamt, just as I once did, and be a delegate for the sport that has captivated me.”