Barbados Today

And the winner of the 2014 Miss Teen Barbados Universal is ––– Rosemary Forde! 

Forde was crowned teen queen when she beat six other beauties on Sunday night at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre to be the face representing Barbados later this year in Russia. Despite a near 30-minute late start, and amid technical difficulties from the get-go, the 19-year-old remained the crowd favourite.

Appearing as contestant No. 5, and representing the flower amaryllis under this year’s theme Flowers In Bloom, Forde was just about good in every aspect of the contest. However, it would have been the talent segment, which she ultimately won, that would have guaranteed her place.

The very tall, attractive young woman rendered a dramatic piece about racism that impressed the audience. Her performance in the Q&A category also received loud applause from her “cheering squad”. Additionally, Forde won the Miss Congeniality prize.

Second place and Miss Photogenic went to Talisha Harding, while third was 17-year-old Tennille Graham’s. For Graham’s talent she performed a dramatic dance piece about pursuing dreams. It depicted a girl who was torn between her mother’s dream for her  –– to study the piano –– and her own –– to pursue dance. Ultimately she realized if she was ever to be happy she would have to do what she loved; and that was dance.

This young woman also earned Best Project and Best Gown. Her gown featured a one-strap cap, and sweetheart neck and shoulder strap features, embedded with sequins, that twisted and turned around her bustline, flowing down the front view.

The Karl T creation snuggled along the waist and hip line, then draped its way to the floor with overlapping petals. The back carried the sequin-studded strap into a boomerang detail with open back air vents, a filled waist and hip area that panned into the bottom of the gown.

Though the gown appeared extra busy to the front, the back view of it was serenely beautiful, and Graham accessorized it with a sequined neckbrace, silver earrings and a single glove.

Shanae Waithe wasn’t good, to begin with, in her rendition of Gabby’s Emmerton, as she had to deal with sound problems. Nevertheless, her attractive body was good enough to win her the Best Swimwear prize.

Calisha Harding started the show well, and though she didn’t have the best of voices, her attitude singing Rihanna’s Stay made the rendition even better.

Contestant No. 7 Sonja Waithe won Miss Punctuality and Most Disciplined, while the Director’s Award went to Tia Murray. Also competing was Laria Worrell.