It’s that time of year again, ladies and gents—time for the most gorgeous and talented mustangs of the world to unite in the spirit of healthy and cut-throat competition. Girls started arriving yesterday, boasting their thick fur coats and slimmed-down physiques. As long as I’ve emceed this event (see Miss Mustang 2009 | Miss Mustang 2008) I’ve never seen a more gorgeous crop of contestants.
Meet RuthAnn, our lovely contestant from Pennsylvania. With big city determination and Amish roots, RuthAnn brings a breadth of qualities to Miss Mustang that we’ve never seen before. Her quiet grace has already charmed the hooves off of her fellow competitors, and she’s a horseshoe-in for the Miss Congeniality award at the very least.
Speaking of big city determination, Roxanne comes the San Francisco Bay Area, where she works as a systems analyst and regularly lopes in marathons to stay fit. Her athletic ability is not to be matched.
A clique forms every year, and this year the Terrible Twosome is turning out to be Muffy and Buffy, two preppies from Massachusetts and Connecticut, respectively.
Between their old money breeding and their Ivy League educational backgrounds, Muffy and Buffy keep to themselves, discussing such matters as Sperry Topsiders, madras Bermuda shorts, Hilton Head Island, and—of course—their stud boyfriends Skip and Chip.
They’re going to have to open up, or popular opinion will quickly turn against them.
Plus, preppy is so over. As it turns out, pink and kelly green do not go together. Never have. Never will.
It’s the pink and green that killed preppy. Everyone knows that.
Please help me welcome Sondra, our beautiful mustang from Missouri. Sondra attends school during the day, waits tables at night, and spends any remaining waking moments volunteering her time at an area oat kitchen, where she does her part to stamp out mustang hunger.
(Hey, Sondra—you’ve got ice on your back. Not sure if you were aware.)
Paula, our girl from Idaho, is embracing the Miss Mustang emphasis on healthy bodies and good eating habits. Paula, like our organizers, is dismayed by the emphasis on extreme thinness, both in Hollywood and across the country.
“Whoever said visible ribs and sternums were attractive needs to just shut up and eat more hay,” Paula said in a pre-pageant interview.
It’s brutal honesty like this that’s made Paula a favorite among judges.
There are so many beautiful contestants: Monique from Montana…
Claire from Colorado…
And Fiona from Florida.
Fiona’s cute and all…but get this: she only has one good side.
Seriously. She’s terrified to move for fear her bad side will be photographed.
*VIEWER WARNING*
One can hardly blame her. Poor Fiona.
*VIEWER WARNING* (For slightly different reasons…)
Now, wait just a minute. What are the Barbi Twins doing here?!? We’ve kicked them out of the pageant several times before, and they just refuse to give up!
Girls, girls, girls. We don’t allow twins to enter as one person! Please don’t cause a scene; remember the glory days.
I can relate. I was right there with you!
Ophelia from Ohio would like the emphasis to steer back toward the field.
Sorry, Ophelia.
And Erika from Delaware just wants everyone to get along.
But not Toni from New Jersey.
She wants the Barbi Twins out of here.
This may prove to be the most contentious Miss Mustang to date.
I’ll keep you posted.
Ree Drummond is the founder of The Pioneer Woman and a lover of butter, basset hounds and life on the ranch! Ree started her blog in 2006, and now millions visit ThePioneerWoman.com every month for her trusted recipes and fun family stories. Here’s what she has been up to since it all began:
New York Times Bestselling Author
Ree has written two memoirs (Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, and Frontier Follies) plus nine bestselling cookbooks:
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl (2009)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier (2012)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays (2013)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime (2015)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Come and Get It! (2017)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The New Frontier (2019)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy (2021)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinner’s Ready! (2023)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The Essential Recipes (2025)
Food Network Host
Since 2011, Ree has been sharing simple, family-friendly recipes—and the occasional kitchen prank!—on her award-winning show The Pioneer Woman, filmed right on Drummond Ranch. Ree is also a regular judge on Food Network competitions, including Christmas Cookie Challenge.
Founder, The Pioneer Woman Collection
Ree has been creating and selling kitchen and home products at Walmart since 2015 and she’s involved in designing every piece and pattern. The line now includes best-selling appliances (you have to see the floral blender!), plus hundreds of pieces of cookware, tableware, and more. Ree doesn’t like to play favorites but the Agatha print has a special place in her heart.
Restaurant and Hotel Owner
Together with her husband Ladd, Ree has opened several bustling businesses in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, including The Pioneer Woman Mercantile—a bakery, restaurant, and general store that draws visitors from across the country (many come for the biscuits alone!), P-Town Pizza, Charlie’s Ice Cream Shop, and The Boarding House, a charming hotel with eight different rooms decorated by Ree and Ladd.
Media Personality
Ree appears regularly on national TV shows like Today, Good Morning America and more—all while managing to keep flour off her shirt.
Wife, Mom and…Grandma!
Ree’s kids (daughters Alex and Paige and sons Bryce and Todd) are all grown up, and as of December 2024, Ree is the proud grandma of the cutest baby ever, Sofia Scott, born to Alex and her husband Mauricio. Ree still cooks for Ladd (and the kids when they’re home), and she also looks after a few mischievous ranch dogs.
