Hometown rodeo queens

In a rare coincidence of overlapping timelines, two Weyauwega sisters will have concurrent roles as ambassadors for the world of rodeo and agriculture.

Ashley Johnson, 21, will serve this year as Miss Rodeo Wisconsin and her younger sister Ava Johnson, 19, is currently serving as Miss Teen Rodeo Wisconsin.

Ava was crowned Miss Teen Rodeo Wisconsin in August and her one-year term will end next August.

Her sister Ashley will be formally coronated at Rio Lobo Winery & Brewery at 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11. There will be dinner, raffles, silent auctions and activities for children.

Ashley’s term will end next January so the sisters have the winter, spring and summer to team up their efforts as they make appearances throughout the state. Ashley will do more out-of-state trips representing Wisconsin in the rodeo world but when back in her home state they plan to work together which helps save on travel expenses.

There are 11 Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association events in Wisconsin and they plan to go to all of them, along with some other related events such as the Midwest Horse Fair in Madison in April. They also plan on participating in numerous community events and visiting schools, libraries and hospitals.

The process of earning this title is not easy. It’s like a cross between a college application and an interview for an important job.

First, one submits head-shot photographs, a resume, a biography, an essay of one’s intentions as serving as Miss Rodeo Wisconsin and two recommendations. At the pageant, they are run through a grinder where they are judged on photogenic qualities and horsemanship skills.

They must pass a 100-question test, have a personality interview, give a prepared speech and also a think-fast impromptu speech.

At a rodeo, the queen will ride in the grand entry and carry the American flag for the opening ceremony. During the rodeo she may ride around with sponsorship flags and help round up loose cattle. If there is a drill team performance or a mutton busting – where children ride sheep – they will participate with that. At the end of the rodeo, they close it out with a Happy Trails ride and wave the audience goodbye.

“For us, when we go to different rodeos it’s about meeting a whole bunch of different people, like the rodeo contestants and the stock contractors are from all over the United States. It’s cool to see their upbringing and how they got into it,” said Ava.

Riders of mammoth mules
They are the daughters of Charley and Charlene Johnson and they grew up on a farm of diversified livestock (beef, pigs, sheep). Ashley graduated from W-F High School in 2021 and Ava graduated in 2023. Both played sports, were on the equestrian team and cite FFA playing a big role in their lives.

They learned how to ride mules before they learned how to ride horses. Their father kept mules for hunting trips in the American West (including American Mammoth Jackstock – a large-sized breed of mule). The girls rode the mules on trails and showed them at the state mule show.

Paint and Squash
Later they got horses and they are the ones you might see them riding at rodeo events.

Ava got an American Painted Horse (aptly named, “Paint”) from a rescue in Richland Center and trained him and the horse is now six years old. Ashley rides Squash, a Quarter Horse-Palomino mix. She got the horse from a woman that named her horses after vegetables.

“I rode her on the Rodeo City Riders drill Team and she’s been a great queen horse—she’s really pretty. She likes cows so we do a lot of ranch riding and cow work which is fun,” said Ashley. She also has an Australian shepherd dog that can jump up onto Squash on command.

They joined the Pink Ribbon Rebels Drill Team that is known for their performances at the Mid-Western Rodeo in Manawa. Ashley served as the Mid-Western Rodeo Queen and she also joined the Rodeo City Riders. A year later, she became Miss Teen Rodeo Wisconsin. After a break, she tried out for the Miss Rodeo Wisconsin. Later, her younger sister Ava also served as a Mid-Western Rodeo queen.

Ashley is currently a junior a UW-River Falls and studying agricultural education. Ashley will compete for Miss Rodeo America next year. Ava studied at Fox Valley Technical College for a year and earned a agriculture business management degree. Now she works part-time at TLC Signs and sometimes uses her commercial driver’s license to drive large work trucks. She plans to go to farrier school in the future.

They can be contacted for community event appearances and sponsorship opportunities at missrodeowisconsin2025@gmail.com. They also encourage girls to reach out to them to learn about becoming a rodeo queen.