Winner of the Ms Bartica Regatta Pageant Ava Hicks was not surprised when the results were announced on Sunday evening. Hicks, 19, believed she had the crown in the bag from the moment she entered the competition.
The pageant was held at the Bartica Community Centre as part of the three-day Bartica Regatta celebrations. Hicks, along with eight other contestants from in and around Bartica competed for the crown, but she was confident from the start that she was going to win the competition. “I don’t think I had any competition,” the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) student, however, said after being crowned.
All smiles and with only the support of her sister, Annice Hicks who was last year’s winner, Hicks said that her sister was her biggest inspiration for entering the pageant. Annice Hicks, meanwhile, said she was “overjoyed” at her sister’s win and stated that she tried her best to coach her.
Hicks was seen as a leader throughout the competition, winning the Best Essay and Ms Photogenic portions, while also performing well in the Intelligence segment. Her platform was “Positively using our talents to enhance our future.”
The intelligence segment was aired on the local station in Bartica earlier in the month. The scores were tabulated, sealed and opened on Sunday night to be added to the scores for the talent, swimsuit and evening gown segments which were presented on Sunday evening.
A crowd-favourite, Hicks owned the stage as she strut her stuff for the judges. She sang her heart out in the talent segment but like almost all the other talent presentations, it was poor. Most of the contestants danced and sang but it was only Donna Boyle, with her singing, that stirred the crowd. The young lady’s upbeat number and prancing across the stage showed that she was having fun and the crowd felt
it and reciprocated.
While the stage presentation was beautiful, the same could not be said for the gowns that contestants modeled. Judge and designer Sonia Noel lamented the lack of creativity in the evening gowns, while noting that there were many talented young designers from Bartica and that the pageant promoters should have utilised them. Noel is also a Bartician.
Not only were the gowns this year lacking creativity, the colour choice was nothing to get excited about. However, Andrea DeFreitas, who won Best Gown with her black printed heart shaped backless bodice gown, did manage to stir some excitement.
Final question
With the intelligence segment removed from pageant night, the event moved along quickly with little technical glitches. When it came time for the final four, it was no surprise when the first name to be called was that of Hicks. She was joined by Ashley Ghani, Nikita LaRose and Maria Rhius. The score was wiped clean and the selection of the winner was based on how well the contestants answered the final question.
In addition to Noel, the contest was judged by 1986 Regatta Queen Sharon Persaud, 1995 Regatta Queen Dacia Rampersaud, Assistant Manager (Credit) of Scotia Bank Carlos Prowell and Neil Clerk, who tabulated the scores.
Hicks was asked how she would promote her platform if she won. Her brief reply was “…By reaching out to the youths, helping them to identify their talents to use it positively. I will start in the schools.”
The crowd was pleased with this answer but were thrilled with the response by first runner-up and Ms Congeniality Rhius, who was asked what she would take away from the pageant and how she would use it in the future. Rhius said she learnt interpersonal skills, such as working with others, and also how to use her stumbling blocks to work out problems in her life.
For Ghanie, the final question proved to be a stumbling block as she was mum after receiving her question. Noel pointed out that this is the year of youth and asked her what she would emphasise if she were to put together a youth programme for the youths in Bartica. The question was asked four times but the 17-year-old did not respond. She made an attempt to answer but could not decide what she wanted to say and, clearly embarrassed, she ended up giving back the microphone to MC Merano Issacs.
Ghanie was also a crowd-favourite throughout the night’s show.
The crowd’s reaction to Ghani’s non reaction was a mixture of anger and pity but Noel later stated that she thought the young lady should have been able to answer the question since she was a youth and should have known what it is that young people in her community are in need of.
Although the announcement of Hicks as the winner came as no surprise, some persons believed that Rhius should have won based on her answer. After Hicks was named the winner, she was only congratulated by one other contestant. The others consoled each other and quickly left the stage, not even bothering to pose for pictures with the new queen.
