Bidding a royal farewell

By: HEATHER
BOGARD
Lifestyles Editor

Louisiana Tournoi Queen Shelby Ryann LaBuff
Louisiana Tournoi Queen Shelby Ryann LaBuff only entered the pageant world just one brief year ago, when she was crowned Miss Kinder. She recalls, “I then decided to challenge myself and compete for a festival title. Miss Tournoi is a title that has required me to attend many different events, pageants and fairs and festivals, so it opened huge doors for me, including modeling.” She adds, “These travels also allowed me to become more educated about our state, the diversity of its people, and their cultures.”
“Being crowned Tournoi Queen,” LaBuff states, “has certainly given me many opportunities and blessed me with amazing and surreal experiences.” One such experience that stands out, she shares, is that “After competing in Queen of Queens, I was asked to go model in New Orleans and walk the runway for New York Couture Fashion Week.” She adds,
This title has also allowed me to travel our wonderful state of Louisiana to various fairs and festivals, making tons of friends through the pageant world. These girls will always have a special place in my heart.”
LaBuff has many special memories from her year as Tournoi Queen and notes that one of the most special memories happened at the beginning her reign at the ball following the Tournoi run. She recalls, “I was serenaded by the champion/king with a song of his choosing, on stage, in front of everyone! Talk about (me having) a beet red face!” She admits, however, that the highlight of her reign was placing in the Top 15 out of 70 contestants at the Queen of Queens Pageant in Baton Rouge. At 17 years old, she was the youngest contestant, and she admits, “I cried tears of joy when I heard my number announced.”
As Tournoi Queen, LaBuff traveled the state extensively to represent her title at other fairs and festivals. She says, “I’ve attended close to 20 events, but the most memorable were the Cotton Festival and the Washington Catfish Festival.” She laments that, “Unfortunately, due to my sister queens’ locations, we weren’t able to travel together.” She laughs that the most exciting experience during her reign was at the Swine Festival, where she says, “I caught the pig in the Greasy Pig Chase!”
“Through my reign,” LaBuff shares, “ I have learned that I can truly achieve and succeed in anything I feel passionate about.” She adds, “Over the past year, I have also learned that my festival, the Louisiana Tournoi, would not exist if it weren’t for the riders and their families, who are passionate about the heritage and history of the festival.”
LaBuff, the 18-year-old daughter of Michael and Kristina LaBuff of Kinder and granddaughter of Shirley and Davis Ledoux II and Joella and Jimmy LaBuff, is currently enjoying her senior year at Kinder High School. She is very active with her school, where she is a member of the softball team, runs track and models. She is also a member of Teens for Christ, Interact and the Future Business Leaders of America. She says, “After I graduate this year, I plan on attending McNeese State University to major in Mass Communications to pursue a career in broadcast journalism. And hey, you never know, maybe go for another pageant title.”
Every queen needs a strong support team of family and friends to get through their busy year of traveling to represent their title, and LaBuff says, “My biggest thank you is to my parents for their support throughout this whole year. Also, a very special thank you to the Ortego family, Mrs. Tonya, Rainie Bell and Rheagan for being my pageant family and taking care of me while traveling on the road. I have the best memories with you and will truly miss our laughs.”
To her successor, LaBuff shares, “I believe that being a good festival queen requires a very confident, outgoing and genuine woman to represent the title. It’s all about having the ability to speak with confidence to strangers or other queens. Throughout everything you will experience with the title, it’s definitely important to stay genuine to yourself, your title and what you represent. Remember, the crown doesn’t define you, you define the crown; so uphold this title with dignity and grace, and get ready for a whirlwind of an amazing year!”
Teen Tournoi Queen Darrelyn Nicole Lachney
Teen Tournoi Queen Darrelyn Nicole Lachney has enjoyed her second reign representing the Louisiana Tournoi Association, proclaiming in amazement, “The one thing I will never understand is how quickly a year can go by. Although I will never be able to compete for Teen Tournoi Queen again, the memories will always remain with me forever.”
She shares, “When people ask me what it’s like being a Tournoi Queen, they believe it is all about smiling nonstop, walking confidently in high heels and acting like nothing else matters except a crown full of diamonds. But it’s not that at all.” She continues, “Maybe the smiling part is true, but it is really about growing: growing in knowledge of our French heritage, growing in pride of our own festival and growing in love with one another. I’ve grown to know and love many new faces across Louisiana this past year. So to those who think it is just a competition of who is prettier than the other or who has the prettiest dress, I’m sorry to say that you are terribly wrong. It is far deeper than those materialistic things. It is an adventure of finding yourself, being proud of where you came from and having fun while doing so.”
As Teen Tournoi Queen, Lachney has attended many events throughout her reign and made many special memories at the Boggy Bayou, Smoked Meat and Cotton festivals. One of the highlights of her year was getting to share the experience with her dad, who was chosen as parade marshal for the Cotton Festival’s Grand Parade of Cotton last year.
Lachney, the 15-year-old daughter of Larry and Sherron Lachney of Ville Platte, is currently a student at Sacred Heart High School, where she is a member of the FBLA and Rotary Interact clubs. After graduation, she plans to attend LSU in Baton Rouge. Her hobbies include reading and enjoying the outdoors.
There are many people Lachney would like to thank for helping make her reign a fun and memorable one. She says, “Mom and Dad, thank you for always encouraging me to be the best queen I can be. Thank you for buying the not-so-cheap queen necessities. I love you both more than you will ever know.” She continues, “Nannie and Paran, thank you for always being there for me and gushing about how beautiful and grown up I look, whether I was in jeans and boots or formal gown and heels. I love you both.”
She thanks pageant director Rhonda Reed by stating, “Mrs. Rhonda, thank you for everything you have done. You have always been the one to inform me about anything and everything queen-related, and for that I am forever thankful.”
To her sister Tournoi queens, she says, “Kaylee (Ross), you will always be one of the best junior queens in my book; and Shelby (LaBuff), you have been a great miss queen to me. I wish you good luck in the future because you have a bright one ahead of you.”
Last, but certainly not least, Lachney acknowledges, “Most of all, I would like to thank God. He has made me who I am, and without Him, there is no me or anything else.”
Lachney proudly proclaims, “I was also Jr. Tournoi Queen in 2012 and I will be back to compete for the Louisiana Tournoi Queen title in two years! The love I have for the Tournoi and members makes me feel at home.” She adds, “The Tournoi association has given me the opportunity to grow in my French heritage and have an unforgettable experience while doing so. You aren’t just an association to me - you are family.”
Jr. Tournoi Queen Kaylee Ross
Jr. Tournoi Queen Kaylee Ross admits, “This title has given me the chance to experience the different festivals and learn about the culture behind each one. It has been an honor to represent this French tradition that is the Tournoi.”
As Jr. Tournoi Queen, Ross traveled to many fairs and festivals to represent her title, including the Boggy Bayou Festival, Pecan Festival and Smoked Meat Festival. This was her first festival title and she has greatly enjoyed her experience. She recalls, “One of the best highlights of my reign would have to be the Boggy Bayou Festival. There I was a visiting queen, and the other queens and I were talking with the residents of the nursing home that had been brought out for the day to enjoy the Cajun music. There was one lady, whom happened to have won the senior queen title, that was just as happy as she could be telling us all kinds of stories. She was really fun to talk to.”
Ross is the 14-year-old daughter of Lisa Crane and step-daughter of Keith Saucier. She attends Tioga Jr. High School, where she is a member of the junior runners and the basketball, softball, flag and track teams, as well as 4-H. While she is undecided about what she would like to do after high school, she says, “I would really like to either become a veterinarian or go to pastry school and help my mom at the cake shop.”
Through her reign, Ross shares, “I have gained confidence in myself. I also have learned about many French traditions.” She also thanks her mom and step-dad for always being there to support her.
To her successor, Ross says, “I think that above all, when you are crowned queen of any festival, you should really understand and believe in the heritage of that festival and represent it and promote it wherever you go.” She urges the new queen to “Promote! Promote! Promote! Don’t let this heritage be lost to future generations!”