Former Miss North Dakota Ashley Ford says she wants to be a country music singer.

Ford, of Cavalier, recently won a regional country music contest, sending her on to national competition in Nashville in January. She said the national Colgate Country Showdown contestants are eligible for $100,000.

"If I did win this competition and receive the $100,000, I would more than likely stay there and pursue my singing career," Ford said. "Singing is something that is my passion and it's my love, and definitely something that I will pursue, win or lose."

Ford is a junior at the University of North Dakota, majoring in mass communication.