Miss Indian Rodeo of North America 1985
Gina Marie Northover
Yakama Nation

Indian Rodeo News is happy to feature  former "Miss Indian Rodeo"  1985.  Gina Northover, came to the Indian National Finals rodeo as the Yakama Indian rodeo association's Treaty Day's rodeo queen to compete for the national title of Miss Indian Rodeo.  Gina comes from a family of rodeo queens since she and her sister's grew up on a cattle and horse ranch in Medicine Valley which is located on the Yakama Indian reservation.  

Gina is the youngest daughter of William D Northover and the late Barbara Northover of Toppenish, Washington.   Gina, a daughter of a cattle rancher and little sister to past rodeo queens, is a enrolled member of the Yakama Indian Nation, and a descendant of the Cowichan Band from British Columbia Canada.  In 1983 Gina became the Toppenish Eagles Jr. rodeo princess and traveled all the way to the Omak Stampede.  The following year, she went on to win the family tradition title of Treaty Days All Indian rodeo queen of the White Swan Indian rodeo, held in June on the Yakama Indian rodeo association grounds.  With the support of the YIRA, she went on to win the national title of Miss Indian Rodeo, and to be the first and only Yakama Indian to win this crown.  Gina decided to compete for MIR in 1983 when she first became aquainted with then Miss Indian Rodeo "Terri Loring" at that time Gina was the Toppenish Eagle's Jr. Rodeo princess.  The following year after she won Treaty Days all Indian rodeo queen title she then  met Carole Jackson MIR 1984 at a press conference at the Yakama Nation Treaty Day's celebration in White Swan, Wa.  Carole and Terri both gave Gina their support to obtain her goal and become the next MIR 1985.  Gina made it to more PRCA rodeos in her year with the goal to educate non-Indian rodeo fans of the first American Cowboy, the Indian Cowboy.  She met country music singer Conway Twitty, George Strait, Wayne Newton, and actress Bo Derek, who loved Gina's clothing line that she and her Grandma, Leola Chinn,  designed themselves.  Gina traveled to New Mexico at the end of her reign, she brought her horse "Fiddle Gay" famously known as "Snip" to Tingley coliseum and gave up her title.  As all rodeo queens should know, when you give up your year to another queen, remember, you will always be queen of that year, make it the best year you can and people will never forget you and what you did to promote their rodeo.