Spencer named Mounted Posse Queen

Maddie Spencer has been named the 2018 Grays Harbor Mounted Posse Rodeo Queen. She takes over for Shelby Baker-Worth, who held the title for 2017.

The 21-year-old is the daughter of Renee and Justin Spencer of Elma and is a 2015 graduate of Elma High School.

Spencer explained that the non-profit Grays Harbor Mounted Posse, which is affiliated with the Northwest Professional Rodeo Association, is responsible for putting on a popular indoor professional rodeo event every year during the forth weekend in March at the Grays Harbor County Fairgrounds in Elma. Spencer’s duties as queen extend year-round, however.

“I spend the whole year representing the Posse and spreading the word of the rodeo,” Spencer said.

To that end, she’ll travel throughout the Pacific Northwest during the next year, attending rodeos, parades and other events.

Rodeo is something of a family tradition for Spencer. An aunt was a queen with the Grays Harbor Mounted Posse years ago and she herself held the title of princess with the organization as a teenager. In high school, Spencer won two overall state championships and a slew of other awards as a member of the Washington State High School Equestrian Team. Today she coaches a related high school equestrian drill team which practices weekly at the county fairgrounds.

There are three horses at Spencer’s home, she says. The female “Shorty” participates in speed events with Spencer while the male “Smoke” is for horsemanship, cow events and parades. A third horse, a pony named “Shot,” belongs to her sister.

Spencer says her favorite rodeo event is barrel racing, which involves riders competing for time as they run a clover leaf-shaped pattern in the arena around three barrels. She recalled that she’s ridden in the Posse’s March rodeo every year as a contestant since she was 14.

“Everyone falls off. I’ve had a couple of bad accidents,” Spencer says, “But thankfully I’m a bit of a helmet stickler. I’ve always had helmets and they’ve pretty much saved my life every time.”

In addition to her rodeo pursuits, Spencer is studying math education for grades 5-12 online through Western Governors University and works alongside her mother as a preschool teacher of 4- and 5-year-olds at Learning to Grow in Elma.

“The kids love it,” she said of those times when she wears Western outfits to school, particularly her cowboy boots and over-sized rodeo belt buckles.

Spencer acknowledged that most people don’t immediately think of rodeo when they think of Southwest Washington.

“Yeah, I get funny looks. But the community really comes together for the rodeo. You see all sorts of people come together for the event,” she said. “The kids love when you do the local parades. … They love being able to see the horses. It’s not something everyone gets to see around here.”

Grays Harbor Mounted Posse maintains a Facebook page, and Spencer said she plans to set up her own Facebook page as queen in the near future where she will be able to be reached.

(Todd Bennington | The Vidette) Maddie Spencer is the 2018 Grays Harbor Mounted Posse Rodeo Queen. The Elma native has had a lifelong involvement with equestrian activities. (Todd Bennington | The Vidette) Maddie Spencer is the 2018 Grays Harbor Mounted Posse Rodeo Queen. The Elma native has had a lifelong involvement with equestrian activities. (Todd Bennington | The Vidette) Maddie Spencer is the 2018 Grays Harbor Mounted Posse Rodeo Queen. The Elma native has had a lifelong involvement with equestrian activities. (Todd Bennington | The Vidette) Maddie Spencer is the 2018 Grays Harbor Mounted Posse Rodeo Queen. The Elma native has had a lifelong involvement with equestrian activities.