10 beauties in battle for Miss Carival crown

If their interviews with the media are anything to go by, the contestants of this year’s Miss Carival pageant have a guaranteed treat in store for patrons tonight.{{more}}

The 10 young women arrived in St. Vincent on Monday, June 27, and were officially sashed and presented with gift baskets at the Young Island Resort on Tuesday, June 28.

An exuberant Cheryl Rodriguez, chairperson of the Beauty Shows Committee, introduced the contestants to the media, and encouraged them to make the most of the advice afforded to them in the run up to the competition.

This was echoed by Minister of Culture Frederick Stephenson, who said: “It’s a sharing and learning experience.”

The contestants, who are the epitome of charm and poise, all sounded confident about their chances of taking the much-coveted crown back to their respective home islands.

Tonight’s show at the Victoria Park will see the young women appear in four judged segments – Swimwear, Talent, Evening Wear and Interview.

Miss Trinidad and Tobago Kia Joachim, Miss Dominica Jacintha Fagan, Miss St Kitts and Nevis Iantavian Queeley, and Miss St. Vincent and the Grenadines Aviar Charles are all hoping to repeat the success of their predecessors, who have won the competition in the past.

Miss St Lucia Louise Victor asserted that she would “most definitely” be taking the crown back to her homeland for the second year in a row – won last year by St. Lucian representative Iva Satney.

Meanwhile, Miss Anguilla Shellya Rogers, Miss Jamaica Roneisha James, Miss Dominican Republic Karen Shih Reyes, Miss Barbados Brittany Worrell and Miss Venezuela Yojaisy Mendoza Rondon are doubly determined to bring the title to their homelands for the first time since the competition’s inception in 1985.

Miss SVG Aviar Charles urged Vincentians to come out tonight to support her.

She was adamant that the crown “has been going out of the country for far too long”, and promised that her performance would exceed that of the Miss SVG pageant.

The crown was last won by a Vincentian in 2008, when Ronique Dellimore kept the crown home after breaking a previous 3-year hiatus. (JV)