(Darry Smith)
Currently I am Miss Great Plains Rodeo Association 2023 and perform under the name of Southyrn St. John Comfort. Grew up in Houston, Texas and received my graduate degree in Nutrition and Food Science from the University of Houston. In the early 2000's I decided to change my career and went back to school for Construction Engineering.
I have been a member in some form or fashion of the Texas Gay Rodeo Association since the early nineties and with Great Plains Rodeo Association, formerly known as the Oklahoma Gay Rodeo Association since 2016. My career in female impersonation started in 1998 under the name Dell Soul, where I was asked to participate in a show called "Church of the Neon Cactus" and from there I have done nothing but raise money for my community.
In 2000, I decided to revamp my drag persona by changing my name. At the time I had no clue what to name myself until one day I was watching a documentary called "Southern Comfort." The documentary tells the plight of a female to male trans person named Robert Eads who was trying to find a doctor in rural Georgia to treat his stage 3 ovarian cancer. His story moved me so much that I decided to name myself Southyrn Comfort (with a "y"), in memory of Mr. Eads.
My greatest honor so far has been my mother being able to see me perform as part of an artist piece called "A Landing on the Bayou" put on by the artists Nick Vaughn and Jake Margolis. When I am not out raising money for my community, I work as a Project Manager for Joeris General Contractor splitting my time amongst the different projects I have, between Houston, Texas and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. I am so proud to be Miss Great Plains Rodeo Association 2023 and I am so blessed to be able to compete for Miss International Gay Rodeo Association 2024.