Both of the newly crowned Boggy Bayou royalty have deeply rooted connections to the Pine Prairie area which allow them to best exemplify what the festival means not only to the community but to also Prairie Manor Nursing Home.
Riane Elizabeth Motty was crowned Boggy Bayou Queen succeeding Laken Victoria Grouvillia. She is the 17-year-old granddaughter of Cheryl Motty.
“Being crowned Miss Boggy Bayou is such an honor and dream come true,” Motty shared. “I have always admired our Boggy Bayou queens since I was a little girl and hoped one day I would hold this title. I am so thankful to have this as reality.”
She continued, “First I would like to thank God. He truly answered my prayers, and I couldn’t be more blessed. I would always like to thank my biggest supporter, my nanna. She has always gone above and beyond for me, and I’m forever thankful. If it wasn’t for her, I would have never gotten into pageantry.”
Motty is currently attending Pine Prairie High School and plans to begin college at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette for a bachelor’s degree in business before going on to LSU to attend law school.
She has been a part of the Pine Prairie High School cheer team and Fellowship of Christian Students for four years while maintaining a 3.0 grade point average.
Her hobbies include spending time with her family and friends, attending church every Wednesday and Sunday with her youth group, and being with her cheer squad as they work on new routines, stunts, and team building exercises.
She is no stranger to the Boggy Bayou royalty scene as she was previously the Teen Miss Boggy Bayou in 2018. Motty said, “Teen Miss doesn’t quite compare to Miss Boggy Bayou. I have a lot more duties to fulfill. This title makes me feel like a true queen.”
Since being Teen Miss before, Motty takes what she learned about being a good festival queen with her during her upcoming reign as Miss. Boggy Bayou. As she said, “It takes good character, leadership, and responsibility to be a good festival queen. We need these qualities in order to bring people to visit our festival and know the amazing cause behind it all.”
Motty also won Best Fashion, Miss Congeniality, and Director’s Choice.
Following in the footsteps of Ashley Leger Deville as Ms. Boggy Bayou Queen is Jenny Foreman, the 30-year-old daughter of John and Christina Foreman. She is the mother of Tristan, Emma, Tinley, and Dallas.
“I had so much fun doing the pageant,” she said, “and I’m looking forward to an amazing year of representing the festival and the nursing home.”
Foreman is currently attending Pineville Beauty School and plans on becoming “a successful cosmetologist while supporting her amazing kids in all they want to pursue.”
Her hobbies include powerlifting, playing softball, and cheering on her kids at all of their games.
A few of Foreman’s accomplishments include dead lifting 340-pounds and squatting 315-pounds this year.
Before being crowned Ms. Boggy Bayou, she was the 2015 Ms. Beauregard Watermelon Festival. Foreman said, “I know that this title will hold a special place in my heart because it is so close to home, and it is a festival that I’ve enjoyed attending since I was a child. I’ve also had family and friends in the Prairie Manor Nursing Home.”
Foreman wished to thank all of her supporters for making her chance to reign as Ms. Boggy Bayou, especially, as she said, “my daughters for cheering so loud when I was crowned queen.”
Being Ms. Boggy Bayou provides Foreman with another opportunity to exemplify what makes a good festival queen. As she expressed, “I think a good festival queen is one who loves not only the festival she represents but all of Louisiana’s festivals. She should be kind to everyone she meets and always wear a smile.”
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TONY MARKS Associate Editor