Callie Mueller is passionate about Western culture and heritage. And, unsurprisingly for the reigning Miss Rodeo America, a big part of that is rodeo.
“I just love how the sport of rodeo continues to keep Western history alive,” Mueller said. “A lot of these events have very close ties to what the cowboys had to do in the Old West when there were no fences and no pastures and that was how they had to take care of their cattle – by roping them or wrestling them.”
A rich Western heritage is apt in South Dakota, Mueller said, where rodeo is the state sport. It has also retained strong participation in the 4-H rodeo program, with nearly 1,300 youth registered for 2025. Of those registered, 705 youth qualified for the state 4-H rodeo finals, and 669 competed.
"Having been in involved with 4-H rodeo for several years, and the time spent with friends that used to professional rodeo, one of the best things that I see is the comradery among contestants," said John Keimig, SDSU Extension 4-H Shooting Sports and Safety Field Specialist. "While they are all trying to win, they root for each other and help each other whenever they can. The pro-social aspects of rodeo line up well with the desired outcomes in youth development. That’s not even considering the goal-setting, resilience and the many other life skills that participants in rodeo experience."
Mueller’s love of rodeo and horses started when she was young, growing up on her family’s small farm near Watertown. She and her siblings were active in 4-H, showing pigs, dairy and horses. She credits that early foundation with helping her get to where she is now.
Not only did she begin to hone her horsemanship and riding skills from an early age, she participated in 4-H public speaking contests and horse judging contests that improved her overall equine expertise.
“4-H helped guide me,” she said. “The work ethic you get working with animals and livestock, you can’t get that really anywhere else. It gave me that firsthand experience that hard work pays off. You have to set goals and work hard every day to make your dreams and your goals come true.”
That tenacity has paid off for Mueller, who attended South Dakota State University for two years before transferring to Dakota State University where she double majored in elementary and special education, with double minors in K-12 reading and K-12 technology.
She entered her first rodeo queen contest in 2019, competing for the title of Jackrabbit Stampede Ambassador to represent the SDSU rodeo team. She won. From there, she moved on to Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association competitions, and has worn the crown for the Black Hills Roundup in Belle Fourche, Corn Palace Stampede in Mitchell, Days of ’76 Rodeo in Deadwood and the Watertown Rodeo.
While being a titleholder in South Dakota for a couple of years, she got to know rodeo committees across the state and was impressed by their dedication to the sport. After a couple of years, she threw her hat in the running for Miss Rodeo South Dakota, which she won in 2024.
“I really wanted to give back to rodeo committees, all the rodeos and all the rodeo committees in the state of South Dakota,” she said.
That put her in the running for Miss Rodeo America, which she won at the National Finals Rodeo in December 2024; her reign lasts through 2025. Now, she gets to represent South Dakota on a national stage while supporting rodeo and Western heritage all across the country.
“As Miss Rodeo America I’m able to see so many rodeos and rodeo productions East to West Coast, and everything comes back to the same basics within the sport,” she said. “What makes the different rodeos unique is what is important to that community.”
It’s also a chance to continue promoting her platform, Faith Over Fear, in honor of one of her best friends, Evie Kahnke. Kahnke was a childhood friend, fellow 4-H participant and high school rodeo competitor who died from cancer in 2018. Faith Over Fear was her motto, and Mueller said by carrying that message forward she hopes to inspire others the same way Kahnke inspired her.
“Once I aged out of 4-H I kind of felt empty and didn’t know where my next steps were, and that’s when God placed rodeo queening in my life and helped me give back to the western industry in another way,” Mueller said. “Evie inspired me. To me, Faith Over Fear means to believe in God’s plan for myself. That encouraged me to go into rodeo queening, out of my comfort zone.”
As her year wearing the Miss Rodeo America crown comes to an end, Mueller said she isn’t sure what’s next. She hopes to pursue a master’s degree; beyond that, she isn’t sure whether she’ll return to the classroom, continue to represent the Western industry or pursue something else entirely.
“I love my state. I love rodeo. I’m really open to whatever God has planned for me,” Mueller said.
