(Alina Whorez Cole)
Alina Whorez Cole was born on May 27, 1982 in Dallas, Texas. As a child she was content to watch her grandfather's cows down in the pasture, ride horses, compete in archery tournaments and was well trained in primitive living by be beloved father Chuck. Her Daddy was everything to her and he was a Pentecostal preacher who was a bit closed off when it came to "alternate lifestyles". She was often known to disappear and be found fishing on the lake or building forts and campfires in the woods. As she grew she developed an affinity for the Arabian horse breed with a concentration in straight Egyptian lines. She worked at an Arabian ranch wile in college and fell in love with endurance racing with AERC. She had her children and eventually pulled away from horses to focus on motherhood.
When her eldest son "came out" at the age of 15, she knew that she could not teach her son to be proud of who he was so she too came out. She told her family and while she was met with some adversity she still knew she was loved even if that meant she should talk about her personal life. A year later her Daddy said the words that opened her heart to activism, "Id rather a happy daughter than a dead daughter". This is what got her involved in advocating for LGBTQ youth organizations.
She began to slowly get involved in her Burleson Texas Community. Alina learned of various charitable organizations in the community and was often seen supporting the community in hopes that a difference could be made. She has a special place in her heart for the transgender community and is committed to getting people involved in activism. It wasn't until a dear friend asked her to entertain that she ever considered stepping on a stage. What that dear friend didn't tell her is, the show she was to start in was also a pageant. She kept her commitment despite her nerves and was Miss Divine Diva 2017.
She was introduced to Texas Gay Rodeo Association and the horse bug hit again, only this time it was with a quarter horse mare named Lena. She started training in barrels and poles with a leased horse named Lena and eventually purchased Roxy, and she fell in love with the sport. With tons of support and help from the community, she began her journey to her IGRA dreams. Her dreams were much bigger than Royalty. She fell in love with the inclusivity of IGRA and she wanted to be a part of the reason IGRA's success continues. She is an avid volunteer, contestant, and fundraiser. She loves people, believes nothing can beat teamwork. If she hadn't found her family in rodeo she believes her life would have turned out very differently.
She enjoys living positively even when faced with adversity and she found in IGRA the acceptance love and protection of a body of people working towards a common goal, GIVING BACK. She would like to thank the Rodeo family, volunteers, competitors and spectators for being a part of making a difference. Yeehaw!