Queen Cotton LXVIII Amber Hope Borne

By: HEATHER BOGARD
Associate Editor

For Amber Hope Borne, being crowned Queen Cotton LXVIII last October was the culmination of a five-year journey attempting to claim her dream title. Borne shares, “My journey to becoming Queen Cotton took five years. This title was one I dreamed (about) and prayed about for years. I prayed that if this was part of His (God’s) plan to let me live it, and if it wasn’t, to reassure me that He had greater plans for my future. She continues, “(For) the last 67 years, the Louisiana Cotton Festival Pageant has had multiple contestants. This past year, for different reasons, other contestants decided not to compete. That left only one contestant and that was me. I was utterly speechless when I found out and could not wrap my head around the fact I was the only one. ME, I was Queen Cotton 68. All I could do was thank God for allowing my dream to be a part of His plan. I truly cannot express how grateful I am to have the honor of being Queen Cotton LXVIII.”
Borne adds, “It still shocks me to this day knowing I was the only contestant. I experienced a different sense of pride knowing the beauty of God’s timing. I laughed at His sense of humor. I spent four years studying, practicing, crying, praying, (only to face) defeat year after year. I cried asking Him why I didn’t win. Then, (during) my last chance to compete, God had placed it for me to be queen. I say all this to remind you all that our future plans in life will never beat God’s timing.”
Borne originally decided to compete for the title of Queen Cotton to show the passion and love she has for Louisiana agriculture and share that passion with others. She also wanted the opportunity to represent all of the hard working people of Louisiana’s cotton industry and the Louisiana Cotton Festival board. Borne said, “I felt this title would enable me to educate, promote and support our local farmers and our festival. This title was never about me, but about the people who keep the Louisiana cotton tradition alive and flourishing.”
Borne, the 24-year-old daughter of Hope and Troy Borne of Lutcher, is a 2017 graduate of Lutcher High School and 2021 Magna Cum Laude graduate of Northwestern State University, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in early childhood education. While attending Northwestern, Borne held leadership roles in Phi Mu Kappa Iota as house committee head and secretary. She is currently employed with Cypress Grove Montessori Academy as a Pre-K and Kindergarten teacher.
Borne’s pageant career began as a teenager, noting, “Becoming Miss Andouille was a goal of mine, as my mom was Miss Andouille back in 1990. I was not allowed that opportunity as the festival closed the pageant to St. John Parish residents only. Then in 2021, they opened it back up to the river parishes allowing me to compete and ultimately win, reigning as 2021 Miss Andouille Festival Queen.” She says, “I had an amazing year, but nothing will beat my year as Queen Cotton.”
Borne’s future plans include growing in her career as an educator to make sure all children receive kindness, love and compassion both inside and outside of the classroom. Her passion and goal is to develop fast food farms around the state to teach the youth the importance of agriculture and how it is the root of our existence. She says, “As a 24-year-old women, the next steps in my life are to get married and start a family. During my reign as Queen Cotton LXVIII, I met my boyfriend who has shown me that good guys still exist in this world. We were able to attend a few events together showing him a preview into the life of a festival queen. My future plans are to marry him and start a family, raising our children to love Louisiana festivals. I also plan on becoming more active in the festival committees to help little girls live out their dreams of becoming a festival queen.”
“My year as Queen Cotton,” Borne says, “has provided me with the experience of traveling coast to coast representing a festival I hold so dear to my heart. I had the honor of decorating and riding on the ‘Louisiana Feed Your Soul Float’ at the annual Tournament of Roses, Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, California, on January 2, 2023. This year’s float (theme) showcased a riverboat and paddlewheel steamboat that was decorated entirely with flowers, leaves and seeds.” Borne also was a member of the Mystick Krewe of Louisianians Washington Mardi Gras Ball in Washington D.C.
Borne admits, “This past year was the best year of my life. I traveled coast to coast representing this festival with pride. I sang my heart out to Lainey Wilson riding in the Rose Bowl Parade and toured Washington, D.C., watching my dad turn into a history nerd as we began Mardi Gras season.” A few favorite moments, among the 60 events she attended during her reign, include shooting skeets in Gueydan; winning the mini jambalaya cookoff in Gonzales; eating six large strawberries (stem and all) in 28 seconds, winning that eating contest; catching crawfish in Breaux Bridge; stuffing 19 kumquats in her mouth in Plaquemines Parish; and so much more. She adds, “I even got in a wreck on my way to the Bogaluse Balloon Festival.” Borne proclaims, “I lived every event as it was my last and made memories that I will share for a lifetime.”
Borne shares the following advice for the next Queen Cotton, “Anyone can be a good festival queen by traveling and attending events. Throughout my reign, I went to every event I could with a positive attitude and spreading a laugh along the way. However, to be a great festival queen, it takes dedication to create a legacy. As a queen, you should ask yourself ‘how do I want people to remember me or what do I want to be remembered for?’ Borne wanted to donate something special to the festival to be used for years to come. While traveling, she decided to donate a scepter for the festival queen to use at formal events, like balls and Washington, D.C. She spent weeks sketching ideas and talking to different companies about design options. She shares, “Finally, I found the perfect one to create a custom King and Queen Scepter that matches our crown. I cannot wait to watch future Queen Cottons use it during their reigns!”
To her successor, Borne exclaims, “Take this crown and walk! You have one year, 52 weekends, 365 days, 8,760 hours and time will never allow you to hit pause for more. I hope you never forget the reason behind this crown. It’s not for the trips out of state, the privilege of traveling our state or the attraction and attention you’ll bring when you go places. No, it is about our communities, our culture, our family traditions, our farmers, and the rich history of the place we call home.” She laughs saying, “Remember, I am only one phone call away and I will gladly take the crown back if you get too overwhelmed.”
One thing Borne learned this year while reigning as Queen Cotton is to “enjoy each day as time will fly by faster than you think. My mom always told me, ‘The days are long, but the years are short’ This year, I unfortunately learned she was right, as my time as Queen Cotton is quickly coming to an end.”
Borne would like thank the Cotton Festival Board for “treating me like their queen before I was their queen.” She also thanks her parents, saying, “I want to give a huge thank you to my parents who have been by my side through this dream of mine, encouraging me to never give up.”
As she prepares to crown her successor on October 14, Borne shares, “I am looking forward to enjoying the festival as their queen. I come every year as a supporter and contestant. Now it is my time to shine as their queen.”