Miss Batesville & Miss White River

Last Saturday night was spent with pageant friends and taking photos.  It was a fantastic competition!  Mark Sparks has done a great job directing the Miss White River and Miss Batesville pageants.  I have had the privilege to work with these two pageants for several years now, and they are a wonderful group to work with.  The day started with the teen talent competition in the afternoon.  It was jam packed with very talented young women.  Following the afternoon show I went with the ladies of the Northeast Arkansas Pageant Association, Kelli Collins, and Renee Notto to our favorite restaurant Elizabeth's in downtown Batesville.  This has become a tradition of ours before attending the night shows of the two pageants. People often ask why I like to shoot pageants and the answer is very easy, the amount of friendships I have made are simply enough but the truly great thing is watching the girls grow into amazing young women.  Kelli, for example, I first met while she was apart of the Diamond State Princess program now here she is about to enter her senior year of high school after competing in MAOT several years!

The show last night started off with Miss White River Klancy Johnson doing a fabulous job singing the National Anthem.  The production number quickly followed with Klancy and Miss Batesville Rachel Roebuck singing "Neon Lights" with some tap moments from Miss White River OT Cori Keller.  Not to be out shined by the teen contestants the miss contestants were just as talented. The talents Saturday night ranged from piano players, singers, dancers and a ribbon dancer, which was a neat talent that made for some awesome photos! Evening gown for all was breath taking! As the evening came to a close it was time for the current queens to give their farewells.  Rachel, Klancy and Cori all did a fabulous job representing the White River Pageant Association this year, so as you can imagine it was an emotional time for them.  Now the moment everyone had been waiting for.......the announcement of the new title holders.

Miss White River OT Kyla Soden, Miss White River Samantha Hudon, Mark Sparks, Miss Batesville Savannah Skidmore, and Miss Batesville OT Olivia Tuggle.

Congratulations to all four of these young ladies and to their awesome director, Mark! I look forward to watching all these new title holders compete at the state pageants next summer!!