Silverton, Ore. – In a dramatic reversal following public backlash and internal review, the Miss Rodeo Oregon Board has reinstated Destiny Wecks as the official winner of the 2025 Miss Rodeo Oregon pageant, officially naming her Miss Rodeo Oregon 2026.
The decision, made unanimously by the board, was announced in a formal statement released Friday afternoon. It came just days after the organization issued a vague acknowledgment of public concern, promising a “comprehensive response” amid a growing wave of questions and criticism.
Wecks had initially been disqualified during the competition, despite earning top scores in numerous judged categories. In the immediate aftermath, Shyanne Spencer was crowned Miss Rodeo Oregon 2026. However, following a review of the rules and “relevant facts,” the board concluded that Wecks’ dismissal was improper. Her win has now been reinstated and the results revised.
According to the updated results:
- Destiny Wecks – Miss Rodeo Oregon 2026
Award Winner – Personality, Horsemanship, Appearance, Photogenics, Speech, High Sales - Shyanne Spencer – 1st Runner-Up
Award Winner – Knowledge/Presentation, Written Test, Congeniality - Paige Speakman – 2nd Runner-Up
The July 18th announcement, posted to Miss Rodeo Oregon’s official Facebook account, had received approximately 17 comments before the comments were removed and comment functionality was disabled later that afternoon. The announcement followed days of mounting public scrutiny and speculation as the circumstances of Wecks’ disqualification remained unclear to many.
Countless posters on threads from the shared post were critical of the Miss Rodeo Oregon board, with many claiming board members needed to be held accountable.
Former Miss Rodeo Oregon Addy Crouch, also posted on Facebook, implying the issues have been ongoing for MRO in recent years while also congratulating Wecks.
“It’s an ongoing thing for mistakes with this rodeo board just like in 2018 where I had to share my title,” posted Crouch. “However, a huge congratulations to Destiny Wecks and prayers to all girls involved in this situation. Hopefully this will be the last time for anyone to be in this situation and the organization continues to improve and grow moving forward!”
In a prior statement dated July 15th, the Miss Rodeo Oregon Inc. Foundation acknowledged receiving “several recent communications” and promised that correspondence was being “thoughtfully reviewed.” That announcement offered little explanation or detail, contributing to a wave of frustration from supporters and rodeo community members statewide.
Wecks’ disqualification sparked outrage among some. Wecks, identified as Contestant Number 3, had swept the majority of judged categories and was widely seen as the frontrunner throughout the competition.
To help restore trust in the organization, the MRO Board also announced extended scholarship opportunities for both the 1st and 2nd Runner-Ups “as a gesture of our appreciation and apology.” Board members say they are committed to improving the pageant’s transparency and are implementing new educational and support systems for future events.
“This does not take away the hurt and confusion that was caused for the contestants and their family members,” the board acknowledged, adding that the decision to reverse course reflects their willingness “to do the right thing by correcting a mistake.”
Some posters were also critical of Wecks. “This is wrong! So if you break the rules and then throw a big enough fit, you get the title! I feel so bad for Shyanne and her family!” another posted.
Other online postings had also alleged that a decision by judges to disqualify Wecks was influenced by a direct complaint brought forward to by the pageants’ own director, leading to involvement by Kayla Vincent, the group’s national director. We have followed with further with the organization, offering the opportunity to comment on those allegations.
The 2025 competition also included the 2026 Junior Miss Rodeo Oregon title, which was awarded to Prineville’s own Kieran Sutherlin. Her selection brings a local highlight to what has otherwise been a contentious week for the statewide program. The Prineville Review is working to bring you a separate follow-up feature on Sutherlin shortly.
The Miss Rodeo Oregon pageant is the official state affiliate of Miss Rodeo America and aims to promote rodeo values, horsemanship, and leadership among young women across the state.
Shortly before publication, MRO board member and Public Relations Director Georgia Leib, responded by email but declined to provide any additional information on the situation.
“The Press Release on our social media platforms states the information we are at liberty to share at this time,” Leib said in part. “We are excited to celebrate all of our 2026 titleholders!”
Wecks responded shortly after initial publication, saying she would be willing to speak about matters not related to the pageant, instead directing us back to Leib for all questions about the pageant.
“As a newly crowned representative of Miss rodeo Oregon as the LIW for 2026 I am more than willing to discuss things pertaining to me and my experiencess [sic] with rodeo and past present and my bright future,” said Weck. “However, I will direct you to our public relations director Georgia Leib.”
This is a developing story that we will keep you updated on as we learn more. This story originated with another publication of Western Media Group and has been adapted for publication with the Prineville Review.
