Contestants put their vocal chords to the test at Country Showdown

MONTROSE—Western dreams and denim jeans were prevalent at Friday night’s Colgate Country Showdown at the Montrose County Fair.

Seven contestants crooned their hearts out and displayed instrumental talent in front of a panel of four judges and a crowd of fans.

Contestants Debra Rowe and her daughters, Lela Rundle, Evelyn Roper, Gary Lear, Nichole Fisher, Kayla Jon and the Turkey Creek Ramblers took the stage, singing tunes from well-known artists, as well as their original music.

The grand prize winner was to be awarded two airline tickets from the Montrose-Telluride Regional Air Organization and Continental Airlines. They also had the opportunity to appear on stage at the national competition.

First and second runners-up were presented with a trophy, and an overnight stay at the Chipeta Sun Lodge in Ridgway.

The panel of judges consisted of Maggie Field, Yvonne Meek, Chuck Price and Dave Frank, none of who are part of 94 KiX. The panel judged contestants on marketability in country music, vocal/instrumental ability, originality, stage presence and charisma, talent, and their use of original music.

Fifteen area people submitted their applications by July 6, to 94 KiX, the country radio station in Montrose sponsoring the event. Jay Austin, Country Showdown organizer at 94 KiX, said of the 15 entrants, seven were chosen to compete in the showdown.

The cuts were made primarily because of time constraints, Austin said.

Each applicant sent a recording of his or her performance of two songs into the radio station, along with an application. Three judges at 94 KiX rated each singer on a scale of 1 through 10, and seven were chosen by the combination of scores from each judge.

“The judges were unaware of who each applicant was, so there was no bias in the selection,” Austin said of the process.

Although Austin is mainly responsible for bringing the national contest to the Montrose County Fair, he acknowledged that without the support of the fair board, there would not have been an appropriate venue.

“I presented this to the fair board, and they liked the idea, so the fair board deserves some of the credit,” Austin said.

This year is the second time the Country Showdown has been held at the Montrose County Fair.

Austin has seven years of experience under his belt in organizing Country Showdown contests at the local level. Prior to coming to Montrose, he arranged the event in Nebraska, and also had ties to a similar contest in Tennessee in the 1970s.

Though not making the final cut can be heartbreaking to a contestant, Austin said people should not let their dreams be shattered.

“Garth Brooks entered this particular competition more than once,” Austin said, hoping to encourage people to keep trying even if they don’t succeed the first time.

Sponsors for Friday night’s event were Colgate, Century 21 Action Realty, Rocky Mountain Shaved Ice, The Cabinet People/Flexible Closets, Drug Testing Incorporated, Chipeta Sun Lodge, Royal Goose, Camp Robber, Hampton Inn, and Montrose-Telluride Regional Airport.

Colorado competitions at the local level are also taking place in Cortez, Walsenburg, Grand Junction, Denver and Pagosa Springs.

This year will mark the 26th year of the National Country Showdown.

The National Final is televised at famous venues, like the Grand Ole Opry House, the Grand Palace Theatre in Branson, the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Epcot Center at Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Florida.

Country Showdown results were not available at press time. Look for the grand prize winner and runners-up in Sunday’s Montrose Daily Press.

Contact Marissa Brunner via e-mail at marissab@montrosepress.com