Ronique gets double delight

11.JULY.07
by J. Soso-Vincent

“The race is not for the swift, but for those who endure til the end.” And that is certainly what Miss SVG 2008 Ronique Dellimore did. Fighting off 12 other competitors at the gladiator-like arena of Victoria Park, Dellimore brought home the coveted Miss Carival crown last Friday, July 4th. This makes it the sixth time since its inception in 1985 that St. Vincent and the Grenadines has won this show.{{more}}

Along with the title of Miss Carival 2008, Dellimore also won Best Swimwear. Speaking to SEARCHLIGHT, she spoke of her joy at winning the competition and how different the experience was from taking part in Miss SVG. She admitted that she had been “…a bit intimidated” by the other young women because they were from different islands and had a lot more experience in pageants than she. However, she found the experience to be beneficial because it helped her to build on who she is. Despite some criticizing her win, Dellimore wants to remind them that the panel of judges only had one Vincentian judge in the midst, so her victory was accomplished “…fair and square.” She profusely thanked her parents and chaperones and everyone else who supported her along the way. Dellimore now has her sights set on the Miss Universe pageant and is aiming to, at the very least, place in the top 10 finalists. “Once you have God on your side anything is possible!”

Much like a runner out of the starting block, the competition got underway with a bang – quite literally. There was a fireworks display that was, quite frankly, one of the few spectacular aspects of the show.

In the Swimwear section, the contestants sashayed, posed and smiled as though their lives depended on it. They were as proud as peacocks, and rightly so, because their firm, well-oiled bodies were almost honed to perfection.

Unlike previous years, the talent section was varied, with by far the most entertaining presentation coming from Miss Jamaica, Monique Prescott. She gave a dramatic presentation from the viewpoint of a reformed Church member. Titled “The virtuous woman”, Prescott delivered a preacher-styled monologue about the unsavoury things she did before finding Jesus – much to the delight of the crowd.

The Evening Wear and Interview sections were combined – as the contestants strutted on stage; they stayed on to be interviewed by emcee Mac Fingal. Dressed to the nines, the young women had been preened to perfection. However, none of the 12 other contestants could match the evening gown of Miss Trinidad, who came out in a tie-dyed, silk creation accentuated by an extremely long train. The only disappointment of the Evening Wear segment was that of Miss Dominican Republic, whose too high centre split exposed her underwear.

The young women were mostly well versed and intelligent. Therefore, the Interview segment was a pleasure to listen to, apart from a few contestants who did not properly answer their questions. Special mention must be made of Miss Puerto Rico who braved answering her question in total English despite having a translator on hand.

First runner-up went to Miss Guyana, Meleesa Payne, who was additionally awarded Miss Community Spirited. Miss Jamaica, Monique Prescott, had to settle for second runner-up despite winning Best Interview and Best Talent. Third runner-up was taken by Miss Trinidad, Katrina Geetooah, in addition to the well-deserved award for Best Evening Wear. Miss St Lucia, Soriah John, won Miss Congeniality, and Miss Dominica, Marah Walter, who was unable to score a hat trick for Dominica winning the pageant, scooped Miss Photogenic.

Additionally, long standing contributors Tracy Connell, Avis Yorke and Agnes DeRoche were honoured for their years of tireless dedication and involvement with the Miss SVG and Miss Carival pageants Co-hosts on the night were E.B John and Barbadian Mac Fingal.