GRANT COUNTY – The newly selected 2008-2009 Grant County Fair and Rodeo Court is firmly rooted in the country, featuring two teens who hail from outlying reaches of the county.

Queen Shyanne Winters and Princess Breanna Brown were crowned during the NPRA Rodeo at the county fair in August. The royal duo will represent Grant County at rodeos and events across the region in the coming year.

Winters, 15, is a sophomore at Dayville High School. She’s the student body secretary and has a 4.0 cumulative GPA, which she hopes to maintain throughout high school. Her favorite classes include World History and English. She is also the teacher’s assistant for junior high P.E.

Born in Pendleton, Winters has lived in Dayville since she was 5. Her parents are Trena Winters, Troy Winters and step-mom Debbie Kopp. She has a younger brother, Colten, a seventh-grader, and two step-siblings, Zach, a seventh-grader and Jordin, an eighth-grader, whom she also said is her “best friend.”

Winters said she loves sports and plays every one that Dayville offers “other than football, but I would if I could – football is one of my favorite sports.”

She loves riding her horse, a registered quarterhorse mare she’s had for about five years. “Cash” – short for “Doc’s Miss Pure Cash” – is her “baby,” she said.

“I spoil her,” Winters was quick to admit.

She uses Cash for gaming – barrels, poles and goats – but said she doesn’t get much time for that anymore because of school sports and her new rodeo queen duties.

Also involved with 4-H, she shows market pigs and has also competed in ranch horse. She rodeos some when her busy schedule allows it and has earned 17-18 buckles so far.

Her future plans are to become a veterinarian or work in some other field involving animals. With two dogs, four horses and a cat, as well as the pigs and horses, she’s already getting plenty of experience with animals.

This year’s princess, Brown is the daughter of Destry and Cami Brown. Homeschooled since the third grade, she graduated from high school last year and now is working on her family’s ranch.

She has a younger sister, Hadley, 14, and a brother, Montgomery, 3.

Born in Idaho, she lived in Nebraska and Spray before Kimberly.

“I’m a country girl,” Brown said. “I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”

Although homeschooled, she attended a choir class for four years at Spray High School, which put on a year-end concert. She also played basketball in junior high, although sports are not high on her “favorites” list.

Closer to her heart are ranching and animals. She participated in 4-H for many years, and has shown horses and heifers. Her main focus has been on cattle, and she has shown steers for the last four years.

Brown has “rodeo royalty” in her blood; an aunt, a grandmother and a great-grandmother serving in rodeo courts in the past.

Having just missed the deadline to apply for last year’s court, Brown said the timing’s better this year, now that she’s done with school.

“This year I can give more time to it,” she said.

Her plans for the coming years include working on her family’s ranch. She says she loves it and can’t imagine doing anything else.

In addition to making “royal appearances,” both young women will volunteer their time, too, with various groups and organizations, such as nursing homes and schools. That, Brown said, “sometimes speaks more volumes” than their other duties.

Both are eager to promote the 100th year of the Grant County Fair in 2009.