Wes Walker-Kern Valley Sun

With Whiskey Flat Days just around the corner the excitement is beginning to surge through the community as everyone gears up for the annual fun-filled weekend. The delicious food, authentic costumes, the carnival, the parade, the rodeo and, of course, the Whiskey Flat Mayor's race will all add to the fun this year. This year there is a new race, for the title of Miss Whiskey Flat Days Rodeo Princess, an it's sure to add to the anticipation of the Whiskey Flat Days festivities.

The new competition will give the youth of the Kern Valley a place to call their own in the Whiskey Flat Days tradition. “This is a really good way to get the youth of our valley involved in Whiskey Flat Days,” said event organizer and judge Lynette Woolwine. It will also help promote Whiskey Flat Days and the great Western way of life. The competition will also provide some healthy competition between the array of young talent entered in the contest. Princess contestants will be judged on a number of criteria including ticket sales, horsemanship, personality and appearance. Stringent requirements in each category must be met in order for the girls to compete. Each girl must sell a minimum of 1,000 tickets, going for $1 each. Each girl will also be judged on appearance, personality, social skills, mannerisms and friendliness. Finally, contestants will be judged on their execution of a Quarter Horse Association-approved horsemanship pattern which will be performed at Whiskey Flat Day's Saturday rodeo.

Woolwine said the committee was “pleasantly surprised by (the girls) qualification” and she promised that it would be a tough competition, “with five such eager young girls competing it is going to be exciting”