Celebrities come and go through the alleyway of the Thomas & Mack with names such as Chancey Williams, Jake Worthington and Lainey Wilson. The star-studded crew has even been known to grace the front row seats with familiar faces like Cole Hauser, also known as “Rip” from ‘Yellowstone’ to the ladies, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Kevin Costner.
Round 2 of the 2023 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) presented by Teton Ridge continued with the celebrity lineup when it featured none other than the Governor of the great state of South Dakota, Kristi Noem.
Governor Noem made her introduction just a little different than most – atop a beautiful palomino stallion owned by Tomas Garcilazo.
The stallion is well-known in the industry as “Hollywood,” registered as Latigo Dun It.
The beautiful 2002 model quarter horse didn’t know and likely didn’t care who was aboard when he gracefully entered the arena. He just knows that he is always carrying very precious cargo.
Governor Noem and Hollywood wowed the crowd with her entrance carrying the grandiose American flag.
While she may have garnered an ovation from the crowd for her appearance at the NFR, those close to her and in her state love her for her continued, lifelong commitment to preserving and promoting the Western way of life.
Elected as South Dakota’s first female governor in 2018, she has made efforts to increase resources to grow habitats in South Dakota through the “My Second Century Initiative,” along with launching the Nest Predator Bounty Program to increase trapping of certain animals that were reducing pheasant numbers drastically. In 2021, 29 percent of the participants were under the age of 18, ultimately getting kids outside and away from video games.
Her love of the outdoors and the West doesn’t stop there, the Pierre, S.D., resident was very instrumental in bringing the Governor’s Cup to Sioux Falls, S.D., at the end of the 2023 regular season for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA).
“The Governor’s Cup was something that was pretty special for us to do,” said Governor Noem. “I believe it was the first time that the State of South Dakota actually put money behind rodeo to make sure the purse was going to be high, and the cowboys would get paid well for their efforts.”
Governor Noem believes so much in the game-changing year-end finals, she has committed to making it happen as long as she is governor.
She is not alone in those feelings.
General Manager of the Governor’s Cup, Rorey Lemmel stated, “The event rodeo fans saw in September was like the AFC, NFC championship games in football or the pennant race in baseball. It changed the landscape for who went to the NFR and who will be the World Champion.”
Governor Noem went on to say, “That was such a phenomenal weekend and so many of the cowboys and cowgirls have been talking about how good it was for their careers. We like that. ‘Rodeo’ is South Dakota’s state sport. We love it and want to promote it. You know, it’s just not that hard to promote anymore. Rodeo represents freedom and reminds us of what America is about.”
Having grown up on a ranch and riding horses, rodeo and the Western way of life is close to the mom of three’s heart.
While she tends to favor watching the steer wrestling and team roping due to family connections, the cowgirl at heart quickly recognized the animals.
“It is fun to watch the personalities of these athletes, but it is equally as rewarding to fall in love with their animals. This coming from a person who has raised horses for years and even rodeoed, the animals are just as much a part of this, and they are truly athletes. The partnership between horse and athlete is phenomenal.”
In a humble and very genuine voice, Governor Noem summed up her time here at the NFR, “I don’t think these cowboys and cowgirls recognize what a big deal it is for me to just get to hang out with them here. It is a nice break for me to get to just embrace this way of life. My dad had a sign made of it and Ronald Reagan said it first but, ‘There is nothing better for the inside of a man than the outside of a horse.”
