Growing up as a tomboy on an Iowa cattle farm, Heather Morrison never dreamed she would end up being Miss Rodeo USA.

The petite blonde loved getting down and dirty doing farm chores, helping her family grow row crops such as corn and soybeans and raising cattle. She loved horses, too, but wasn’t really into makeup, curling irons and beauty pageants — that is, not until the local rodeo “went professional” and both she and her sister Holly entered the contest.

“We each bet the other that whoever got the (highest score), the other one had to do cow chores,” she said Monday as she visited the Statesboro Herald.

Morrison is in town in anticipation of the upcoming Statesboro Kiwanis Rodeo, which takes place Friday and Saturday at the Kiwanis Fairgrounds on Highway 67 south of Statesboro.

As part of her duties as Miss Rodeo USA, Morrison travels all over the country to appear in rodeos, speak to civic groups, visit children in schools, and give endless interviews with TV, radio and print news media.

The 26-year-old from Letts, Iowa, graduated from Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, achieving two degrees — one in beef and swine production management and another in agricultural geospacial technologies.

“I have always loved agriculture,” she said. “I have wanted to farm all my life. I enjoy it.”

In high school, Morrison was a member of 4-H and FFA. Her family didn’t have horses until her sister won one at a county fair in a 4-H project animal contest. Then, “I got to pick out my own,” she said.

Having horses was a learning experience.

“I learned to ride, and I learned to fall,” she said.

She got into barrel racing and a little roping, but when she broke her back in a horse-related accident, Morrison’s family sold the horses.

Doctors didn’t want her to ride again, but giving up wasn’t her style. Morrison continued competing, riding on borrowed horses. Once she got back into the rodeo scene and started entering pageants, she started winning; she now holds four rodeo queen titles. She was the second runner-up in last year’s Miss Rodeo USA competition.

She said she was stunned when she realized she had won the title this year. In her mind she had picked out the winner, but when that girl was named as a runner-up, Morrison said she went numb and had to wiggle her fingers “to make them tingle.” Her friends and fellow competitors whispered to her that she had won, but it didn’t sink in immediately, she said.

Now, as the reigning Miss Rodeo USA, Morrison enjoys meeting new people and visiting new places. She bought a filly (young female horse) a year ago, and even though Lue (a registered American Quarter Horse named Smoky’s Little Lady) wasn’t what she thought she wanted, the filly won her heart with stellar behavior and a nudge with her nose. Lue is black with “lots of silver” hairs sprinkled throughout her coat, meaning she will likely lighten to a color called “blue roan” or even gray as she gets older.

Morrison has another horse, a black and white grade (unregistered) pinto named Chance. He was a rescue in a way, given to her in thin condition, and Morrison is happy to show before-and-after pictures of Chance’s improvement.

Part of the road to winning the Miss Rodeo USA title involves a cause, or platform, that competitors choose to promote. Morrison’s platform is “The World Needs All Types of Minds” and was inspired by her brother, who has autism. Choosing this platform “helped me learn more about my brother. I talk about how he changed my life for the better,” she said.

In her younger years, Morrison didn’t understand autism, but as she learned more, and discovered Dr. Temple Grandin, a successful author and speaker who has autism and who is a professor of livestock science at Colorado State University, Morrison was inspired.

Her brother has always been a big part of her life, and Morrison loves to talk about the unique minds and personalities of those with autism.

“He knows no hate,” she said. “He doesn’t hold a grudge and loves everybody.”

Morrison invites everyone to stop and speak to her at the rodeo, which is provided by Hedrick Rodeo Company out of Madisonville, Tennessee.

The International Professional Rodeo Association event will draw competitors from all over the world, as well as local riders. Along with bull riding, bronc riding, calf roping, barrel racing, steer wrestling and other classic events, there will be a clown act, a liberty horse act, children’s games and a variety of food and other vendors.

Gates open at 5 p.m., and visitors are welcome to browse, meet competitors and visit vendors until the action starts at 7 p.m.

Advance tickets are available at Anderson’s General Store on Northside Drive East in Statesboro.  Advance tickets are $12 for adults, $16 at the gate, and $7 in advance and $11 at the gate for children.

 Herald reporter Holli Deal Saxon may be reached at (912) 489-9414.