Written by Trisha Johnson published in the October 2005 issue of Barrel Horse News
When you think of rodeo queens, it’s a given that there will be pretty girls, fancy clothes, rhinestone tiaras, and an equally beautiful horse to lap the arena on during a rodeo.
Now shift gears and imagine a Miss Teen USA contestant. high heels, swim suit competitions and evening gowns, topped off with a rhinestone tiara, all come to mind. Two totally different worlds? Not for Miss Oklahoma Teen 2005, Crystal Glidden. The 18-year-old resident of Newalla, Okla., achieved the title of Miss Oklahoma Teen in only her second year of competition. Raised on a ranch with equine athletes being a part of her daily life, Glidden has been riding and competing for so many years, it’s hard for her to put a finger on when the first time she rode a horse was.
Recently competing in the Miss Teen USA Pageant, held Aug. 8 in Baton Rouge, La., Glidden finished in the top 10 out of the 50 other contestants from across the United States. Some might think that Glidden’s fellow pageant contestants would find it odd, a cowgirl being in the Miss Teen USA pageant, but Glidden finds it to be the opposite.
“Everybody thinks it’s awesome,” Glidden said. “Whenever anyone finds out that I am a barrel racer and I have horses and everything, they think it’s the coolest thing ever. They are always like ‘wow, you ride horses?,’ because you wouldn’t ever think, when I am in high heels and all dressed up that I ride.”
Not only has Glidden had success with her pageants, she has also had success inside the barrel racing arena. With Equi-Stat lifetime earnings of over $20,000, Glidden has had success on several barrel horse, both in the rodeo arena, as well as the 4D and sweepstakes events.
Glidden, who plans to start college in January at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo., majoring in fashion merchandising and marketing, says that having the opportunity to compete in the Miss Teen USA Pageant was something she would have never dreamed she would be doing.
“Honestly, I never really pictured myself being in a pageant, I guess just because I rode horses all the time – and that’s all I wanted to do, was ride,” Glidden said. “I was going to a prom and I went to Southern Charm, a store in Norman, looking for a prom dress. Someone there had said something to me about the Miss Teen Oklahoma, and how I should try it. I thought ‘no way am I doing this.’ Then my Mom talked me into it, and I just happened to win. I am really glad now that I did it, it was amazing, like a dream come true.”
Along with being a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society, Glidden was also involved in Daffodil Days, a program in which teenagers across Oklahoma are involved in raising money for the Relay For Life program, as well as being actively involved with the Special Olympics.
Glidden enjoys spending her time working for good causes, and finds that balancing her Miss Oklahoma Teen responsibilities and keeping her horses rode and condition comes easier than she thought it would.
“It works out well,” Glidden said. “I’ve been lucky to where it didn’t overlap. I was really worried about the responsibilities at first, because I love horses, and I have to ride no matter what. Everything has been really smooth for me so far.”
Glidden has received much fame in the past year for her efforts on her standout futurity mount, Treasured Outdoor (PT), which Troy Crumrine has also jockeyed to several paydays from futurities. Having already ridden derby horses for two and a half years, Glidden has several colts at home ion her parents ranch in Newalla whihch she is preparing for next year’s futurities.
“I mainly want to do the futurities and derbies,” Glidden said. “I kind of gave up on high school rodeo, and rodeos period, because I want to do the aged events. That’s all I want to do, I really don’t have any desire to rodeo.”
As of press time, Glidden has just sold Treasured Outdoor to Chuck Tolbert, Olney, Ill., a decision which was hard for her to make.
“I sold her because I couldn’t ride her since I was gone a lot,” Glidden said. “She is an awesome horse, and I didn’t want her just to sit around. I wanted someone to be able to take her to Open World, and to different places and do good on her. That was something I was upset about, but then again, I have a lot of colts that I need to be riding, and I can’t be concentrating on the colts and training them if I have her here, too.”
Glidden was able to use her dedication to keeping her barrel horses in shape when it came time to hit the gym for the Miss Teen USA Pageant.
“One of the major things I had to do to prepare was working out,” Glidden said. “Whenever we win (Miss Oklahoma Teen) we get a personal trainer, which for me was Brian Atterbary of Results Fitness. He is the best ever, he’s an awesome guy. I had been working out for six months prior to the pageant. I had to run six days a week, do a lot of cardio and lift weights. He had a program set out for me that I did every day, and I had to eat healthy.”
Glidden says that after spending the past few years around the pageants and contestants, that most people are very accepting of her cowgirl lifestyle in conjunction with the beauty pageants.
“I am a cowgirl, yet I am still Miss Teen Oklahoma,” Glidden said. “I still get dirty and put on my boots and go out and ride my horses. It’s hard work and people think that it’s easy because you just have to be pretty and appear at places, but it’s more than that. I am constantly on the go. There are times when I would have plans to do something other than go to an appearance, and I would get a phone call the day before saying I need to be somewhere the next day at one o’clock. But it’s a lot of fun, and it’s worth every single minute.”
Glidden is toying with the thought of running in the Miss USA pageant, but says it will be at least another two or three years before she seriously thinks about it. Currently, she is actively pursuing her modeling career, having just returned from Atlanta, Ga., from appearing in a Giovani style show, at the time of her Barrel Horse News interview.
“Basically, I just have to wait and see what happens,” Glidden said. “Doors are opening and I just have to go with it. I would recommend anyone to do the pageants. I mean, look at me, I did not want to do it. I was completely into horses and had no ideas about it. Then my Mom talked me into it and now I am so happy I did it. You don’t have to win for the (pageant) experience to be good for you. The whole experience in general of meeting new people, especially a positive group of people, it just really motivates you.”
