Beloved influencer Valeria Mireles, known as “Miss Rodeo” to her social media followers, has died at age 20.
The cowgirl influencer died following a car crash in the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, on Monday, her family has announced.
As further details about her death are yet to be revealed, her heartbroken loved ones have “asked that their privacy be respected at this difficult time,” per Mexican news outlet N+.
Mireles rose to social media stardom by sharing videos of her life as a cowgirl, which included clips of herself horseback riding and barrel racing.
After she had reached an impressive social media following, amassing around 100,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok, Mireles earned herself the nickname “Mexico Rodeo Queen.”
Her final post on social media was a video of her dancing with a pal on Saturday.
Mireles’ friends and family took to social media to pay their respects.
“Niece Ana Valeria Mireles Villarreal, you will always live in our hearts,” he wrote. “We will miss you so much,” her uncle, David González, wrote on Facebook.
The influencer’s friend, Cindy, also shared a heartfelt tribute on social media.
“I lack words to describe how much your departure hurts us, you leave us a huge void!!! I am grateful that God allowed me to grow up with you and share so many good times, so many laughs and anecdotes that I will carry with me always,” she wrote on Instagram.
“I will carry you in my memory and in my heart with that smiling face and so sweet,” Cindy continued. “Wherever you went you lit up the room with your scenery and your light.”
Mireles’ love for the rodeo kickstarted when she was 8 years old. She was later crowned Miss Rodeo Nuevo León 2020-2021 and Miss Rodeo Mexico 2021-2022.
In 2021, she was the finalist at a national pole racing event, and went on to represent Mexico at a rodeo international competition in Wyoming the following year.
“Valeria was more than a rodeo queen; she was an ambassador of cowboy culture, an inspiration to many young women,’ the Mexican Rodeo Federation wrote on Facebook.
“Her smile lit up every arena, and her passion for rodeo was contagious. Although her passing leaves a void, her legacy will live on in our hearts and in the memory of rodeo.”
