Three seek title of Country Music Queen

Otago Daily Times

29-04-2025

With the hardest part of getting humble Southlanders to enter, the leadup to this year's Country Music Queen competition is already in full swing.
While the Gore contest is decidedly not a beauty pageant, convener and 2019 winner Melissa Wishart said, the winner crowned on May 25 must present well to be an ambassador for the town internationally.
She said the hardest part of the competition each year was getting Southlanders to throw their proverbial cowboy hats into the ring.
"We're a bit humble and modest, aren't we?" she said.
But the event is past that initial struggle and the contestants for this year are local property manager Jasmyn Pollock, Heriot's Maea Brandon and local retail worker Samara Halford.
In the leadup to the final night, the competition hopes to build their confidence, connecting them with public speaking educator Toastmasters to improve their oration, she said.
They also expose the entrants to a lot of community events while they wear their bright yellow sashes, so locals can learn who they are before the big day.
The three women will also be educated on the knowledge and history of the area in preparation for the event, where there will be a question and answer category.
The contestants will be judged on their public speaking, presentation and knowledge of Gore.
They will also each deliver a speech on the night.
Gore Health chief executive Karl Metzler, country musician Jenny Haraway and dance studio co-owner Amanda Swain will be returning as this year's judges.
"They're seasoned judges and they love it," Ms Wishart said.
The judges will meet for a dinner with the three potential queens the week before, as a way for them to get to know the candidates and ascertain who is best to represent the town.
As a prize, the winner will represent the town for the year at important local events as well as internationally at Gore's sister-city, Tamworth, in Australia.
The New South Wales town hosts the biggest annual country music party in Oceania, the Tamworth Country Music Festival, which the Queen winner will attend, representing Gore.
The competition is organised by the Gore Country Music Club and held as part of the Tussock Country music festival in May.
The big night will be held at the Gore RSA, with about 13 tables adorned with cheese platters and drinks at the bar.
There will be live entertainment with the ever-popular Annie Nelson hosting, while the judges deliberate.
"It's quite fun seeing on the night who's going to win," Ms Wishart said.
Tickets are available on iTicket.
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