RODEO PROFILE
COWGIRL UP! FLORIDA’S ADDISON ROBERTS IS A TOP RODEO FLAG GIRL
eing a Flag Girl at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo is a dream come true for 20-year-old Addison Roberts of Southwest Ranches, Florida. And the 2022 event was her second time being a part of the magic.
The Flag Girls consist of 21 experienced horseback riders opening the show. This elite group performs before rodeo fans packing the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas for the annual 10-day event. With few coveted spots opening, the nationwide competition is fierce. The application process includes photos, essays and a video of the prospect’s riding ability. For Roberts, that meant
Their horses are supposed to be black and bomb-proof to handle the crazy rodeo environment and close quarters behind the scenes.
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F L O R I DAC O U N T RY Fe b r u a r y | M a r c h 2 0 2 3
showing off her breakaway roping skills, running barrels, cutting and just plain horseback riding. Angie Burton, the Flag Girls’ coordinator since 2009 and a former rodeo queen and Flag Girl herself, selects some 10 applicants to come to Las Vegas for tryouts, including a personal interview and further demonstrations of their horsemanship. Roberts went through this process in 2020, the year where most events experienced difficulties due to Covid. Every performance at the National Finals Rodeo, or NFR, entails a different outfit, often matching a theme, including honoring Las Vegas and the military, memorial and national patriot nights, and the long-running “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” night.
PHOTOS ON THIS AND OPPOSITE PAGE COURTESY OF ADDISON ROBERTS
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Written by: Kathy Ann Gregg
