Cape Girardeau native Ali Turner featured in Victoria's Secret model search competition

When Ali Turner started modeling at age 15, she only did it so she could make money to buy horses, a pickup and a ranch.

At 23, Turner has three horses and a pickup, and she's headed back to the runway for the ranch.

Turner started modeling for the Ford Agency, the biggest name in modeling, and spent three years doing shows for Tommy Hilfiger, "Marie Claire" and other household fashion names. She slowed her career down in 2005 so she could return to Cape Girardeau and graduate with her class at Central High School, and so she could enjoy her horses.

She's kept her modeling up through Centro Models, an agency in St. Louis. Recently, Turner, her mother Patty and sister Amy drove to Chicago so Ali could audition for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Model Search. Auditions were also held in New York City, Miami and Los Angeles to choose 10 women between 18 and 30 for the competition.

The women will live together through Dec. 3 in New York City and be filmed and photographed for online videos, which the public can view and vote on to determine a winner. The winner will receive $5,000 in Victoria's Secret gift cards and get to walk in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, which airs Dec. 1 on CBS.

Turner said she's hoping to win and then get more calls to model from that runway show.

"I've got my pickup and my trailer," she said. "Hopefully [this opportunity] will help me buy my ranch."

Besides, she said, "what girl doesn't want to be a Victoria's Secret Angel?"

The women will be filmed and photographed all month and for two rounds of public voting. The videos can be seen at vsallaccess.com, where viewers can also vote for their favorites. The first round of voting starts at 2 p.m. today. On the website, Ali is known as Allison Turner.

Since slowing down her modeling career, Turner has played with her horses, helped teach her mother's preschool class at Deer Creek Christian Academy and also worked at Edible Arrangements.

"I have a hard time not eating everything," she said with a laugh, but Turner was blessed with height and her father's metabolism.

"My dad's really tall and skinny, and he's able to eat whatever he wants. I just got lucky I guess," she said.

Turner stands 5 foot 11 barefoot and has a 24-inch waist, the same as when she started modeling eight years ago. She has grown taller over the years, but said she doesn't eat much junk food and drinks a lot of milk. However, the the Southeast Missouri girl said she loves down-home food.

"I love steak and mashed potatoes and gravy," she said. "That's my absolute favorite."

Turner joined a gym about a year ago but said taking care of horses keeps her active.

"I'm very physical with all of that stuff. You sort of have to be," she said.

She also thinks the horses keep her grounded and natural, something to which she attributes her selection for the contest. During the interview process in Chicago, the judges kept asking her about the horses and asked if she could "yeehaw."

"I just cupped my hands around my mouth and yelled," Turner said. A few days later, she got a phone call.

Turner will remain in New York through the duration of the contest, meeting other models and competing for the spot in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

Photo courtesy of Carrie Perez, Photography by Carrie.