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Katie Blair

Beauty pageant titleholder
Birth name	Katherine Amanda Blair
Birthdate	December 29, 1987 (1987-12-29) (age 22)
Birthplace	Billings, Montana, U.S.
Height	5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Eye color	Blue
Hair color	Blonde
Title(s)	Miss Montana Teen USA 2006 Miss Teen USA 2006
Major competition(s)	Miss Teen USA 2006 (winner)

Katherine Amanda Blair (born December 29, 1987) is an American model, beauty queen, and television personality from Billings, Montana, who held the Miss Teen USA 2006 title. She was the first person from Montana to win a major pageant title.

Pageant participation

Miss Montana Teen USA

Blair represented Montana in the Miss Teen USA 2006 pageant held in Palm Springs, California on August 15, 2006, and became the first Montanan to place in the pageant. Outgoing titleholder, Allie LaForce of Ohio, crowned Blair as the new Miss Teen USA. Melissa Lingafelt of North Carolina placed first runner-up. Prior to Blair's win in the nationally televised pageant, Montana had been the only state in the competition's 23 year history never to have had a semi-finalist.

Blair's win was somewhat controversial. During the last phase of the competition, which is the basis for the judges' final ranking of contestants, her answer to the final interview question struck some observers as incorrect. Asked by judge Carl Lewis to describe what integrity meant to her, Blair responded that the term meant an all-out ambition to achieve her goals.^[1] Blair's was the only somewhat objective question; other contestants were asked about their opinions on a wide variety of topics, such as the driving age and teen image issues.

Houston designer Gaspar Cruz styled Blair's evening gown, hair and makeup. Previously Cruz designed gowns for Gina Giacinto, Miss Nevada USA 2001, who was top five at Miss USA, and for Shauna Gambill, Miss California USA 1998, who was first runner-up at Miss USA.

Blair's Miss Teen USA winnings included a one-year modeling contract with Trump Model Management and a scholarship to The School for Film and Television in New York, as well as a guest appearance in the NBC soap opera Passions.

On August 24, 2007, Blair passed down the Miss Teen USA title to Hilary Cruz of Colorado.

Reign as Miss Teen USA

Blair is interviewed during the San Jose Holiday Parade

Blair spent her year as a titleholder in New York City, living in a Trump Place apartment with Miss Universe and Miss USA. During her reign, Blair made appearances to raise money for charity.^[2] She lived in Sugar Land Texas for most of her life, and actually attended school from 9-11 grade at Stephen F. Austin High School. She graduated from Billings West High School in 2006, and had planned to attend Louisiana State University, but postponed her commencement of college for her reign.^[3]

Following her win, Blair gave interviews with various media organizations, including WPIX New York and Dayside on Fox News. She also signed her name on Peter Hanchett and Zack Oberlander's foreheads at a BWHS football game. In September 2006, she returned to Billings, Montana for her official homecoming as Miss Teen USA. The city council announced the day as "Katie Blair Day" and awarded her a key to the city. She crowned Chelsea Nelson, also of Billings, as the next Miss Montana Teen USA 2007.^[4]

Controversy

In December 2006, Blair was the subject of publicity after she and Miss USA 2006, Tara Conner, were rumored to have been publicly intoxicated with Miss Universe 2006, Zuleyka Rivera, on Rivera's birthday. A source also claimed that Conner and Blair had kissed, danced on the table in a sexual manner, and snorted cocaine.^[5] This led to speculation that Conner would be stripped of her crown, and that Blair might suffer disciplinary action. However, on December 19, 2006, Donald Trump announced that Conner would retain her title while entering a substance abuse treatment center.[1] On December 20, 2006, Mothers Against Drunk Driving announced that because of Blair's alleged activities, they would no longer use her as a spokesperson against underage drinking.^[6] During the premiere of MTV's new reality show Pageant Place, Donald Trump revealed that Blair was the one who turned in Miss USA Tara Conner for alcohol and drug abuse because she felt that Conner was trying to steal her boyfriend. Also in the episode, she firmly denied she had kissed Conner.

Television

Blair currently stars in Donald Trump's new MTV reality show Pageant Place along with Rachel Smith, Hilary Cruz and Riyo Mori. The show started airing on October 10, 2007. Connor also makes appearances on the program. Recently Katie and Tara Connor rekindled their friendship on the show.

References

1. ^ Healy, Donna (2006-08-17). "Miss Teen USA's smile, personality open doors". Billings Gazette. http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/09/07/news/local/20-miss-teen.txt. Retrieved 2006-09-12.  
2. ^ Healy, Donna (2006-09-07). "Amid life of glamour, home suits her fine". Billings Gazette. http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/09/07/news/local/20-miss-teen.txt. Retrieved 2006-09-12.  
3. ^ Cast, Cari (2006-09-09). "Miss Teen USA Visits Billings". KULR-TV. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14780055/. Retrieved 2006-09-22.  
4. ^ Hathaway, Jodi (2006-09-10). "Miss Teen USA". KULR-TV. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14780047/. Retrieved 2006-09-22.  
5. ^ Piazza, Jo (2006-12-16). "Queen is way out of line". Daily News.  
6. ^ Castle, Heidi (2006-12-20). "Statement of Attribution on News Reports of Miss Teen USA Drinking Alcohol Underage". MADD.org. http://www.madd.org/news/11377. Retrieved 2006-12-20.  

External links

• Official site Miss Teen USA