Eliza Engelhardt of Odin is the 16-year-old daughter of Max and Estella Engelhardt. She attends Christ Our Rock Lutheran High School in Centralia, Ill. She serves as the 23 4-H Teen Ambassador, the Marion County 4-H Federation and the Blackhawk Clovers 4-H Club president where she has won a multitude of awards. She plans to obtain a bachelor’s of equine science from the Southern Illinois University Carbondale and then become a doctor of veterinary medicine from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana. She specifically hopes to become an equine reproductive veterinarian. Eliza enjoys competing in a wide variety of equine classes such as English hunter under saddle, ranchmanship, showmanship, barrels and poles. Outside of the equine arena, she is active in FFA and band where she won the Regional Band contest First Superior Xylophone Soloist. She also was the 2019 Illinois State Fair Champion Brown Swiss Heifer. Eliza was also the Illinois Horse Fair Ambassador in 2020. “It would be such an honor to represent the Miss Rodeo Illinois organization, my beloved home state, and our precious rodeo heritage! I hold a skill set that would help me be successful as Miss Teen Rodeo Illinois. I am passionate about using my leadership and public speaking skills to teach others about rodeo history and serving as a role model.”