Art of the Cowgirl | 2021 Summer Event Program

2021

SUMMER

EVENT

PROGRAM

GA L LAT I N CO UN TY FAIRG ROUNDS | BOZ E MAN, MT

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WRANGLER.COM

MEASURE YOURSELF MEASURE YOURSELF MEASURE YOURSELF

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BY LEGENDARY

BY LEGENDARY BY LEGENDARY STANDARDS. STANDARDS. STANDARDS.

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We Hope You Find

Inspiration Here JOIN OUR COMMUNITY, DISCOVER SOMETHING NEW AND CONNECT WITH WORLD RENOWNED ARTISTS

I the western way of life. Most of today’s successful ranchers and western t’s no secret that women have played a significant role in ranching and

artisans have wonderful stories to tell about a wife, mother or grandmother who influenced their lives.

Art of the Cowgirl is designed to spotlight these wonderful women while sharing the stories of their families, marriages and partnerships that in turn shaped them.

Please join us as we celebrate, gather and connect Western women around horses and western art. We will feature female makers, master artists, silversmiths, braiders, saddle makers and horsewomen.

The event will not only provide entertainment and honor women of the west, but will also provide fellowships to individuals to further their knowledge with master artists in their trade of choice.

The contributions of these cowgirl makers are truly worth celebrating and we look forward to sharing them with you.

,

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TO 7TH STREET

OAK STREET Warm Up

Cutting Pen

C GATE

Cattle Pen

CONTESTANT PARKING

COWDOG RODEAR TRIAL MERCK ANIMAL HEALTH ARENA

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12 13

SHOW OFFICE

3

PURINA STAGE

ELITE HORSE SALE BARN

8

5 NOT IN USE

WRANGLER MAIN STAGE

15

14

10 FELLOWSHIP & FINE ART HALL

6

NOT IN USE

PURINA INDOOR ARENA

WASH RACK

PRIEFERT ARENA

HORSE BARN WEST

7

TRADESHOW LAWN

ICE BARN

1922 FILM STAGE 9

4

2 WORKSHOPS

NOT IN USE

FAIRGROUNDS OFFICE

STOCK TRAILER PARKING

HORSE BARN 3

B GATE - MAIN ENTRANCE AND TICKETING

STOCK TRAILER PARKING

LIVESTOCK & CONTESTANT ENTRACE ONLY

CONTESTOR ENTRANCE

Treasure State

1

WORKSHOPS

NOT IN USE

Exhibitor RV Camping

TAMARACK STREET 1 Workshops

4 Horse Barn 3

8 Elite Horse Sale Barn

12 Merck Animal Health Arena

2 Workshops

5 Wash Rack

9 1922 Films Stage

13 Purina Stage

3 Show Office

6 Purina Indoor Arena

10 Fellowship Hall

14 Wrangler Main Stage

7 Horse Barn West

11 Cowdog Rodear Trial

15 Priefert Arena

SPECTATOR ENTRANCE

NOT IN USE

OAK LOT MAIN PARKING

HEROES FIELD

GALLATIN COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS 901 N. Black, Bozeman, Montana

Accessible Parking

BRIDGER LOT

PRIVATE PARKING ONLY

Concession Stands

(not open to public)

GREENWAY NOT IN USE RANGE

General Parking MSU EXTENSION/ WEEDS DEPT.

Restrooms Fence

A GATE - WORKSHOP ENTRANCE NOT IN USE

TAMARACK LOT OVERFLOW PARKING

BUILDING 4

N

WORKSHOP PARTICIPANT ENTRANCE Event Boundries General Parking

Concessions Stand

Accessible Parking

ATM

Restrooms

OVERFLOW LOT ENTRANCE

S

Visit our Vendors Smith & Western

Lucky Break Coffee Company

Pure Dixie

Western & Co.

Out West Coffee

Prairie Grass Designs

Western Ranch Supply

Top Notch Pistachio

Travelling W Leather

The Farmers Daughter

WesTrends

Western Made Co.

Ian Robinson

SILVER/JEWELRY

INFORMATION BOOTHS

Jessica Howard Fine Art

COWBOY GEAR/ TACK

Annie Wangsgard Silver

American Regent

Karly Katherin Photography

Big Sky Mohair Cinches

Amy Erickson Silver

Art of the Cowgirl Retail Booth

Kimberly Beer & Phyllis Burchett

Colorful Cowgirl & Co

Bunkhouse Design

Art of the Cowgirl Info Booth

Kinsey Artfitch Fine Art

Cross N Custom Cinches

Carlee Stutz Custom Silver

AZ Dude Ranch Association

Kira Fercho Art

Hochstrat Braiding

IM Silver

Cara Brewer

Lexi Bagnell

Hagels Cowboy Gear

KP Silversmithing

Colorado State University

Little Cow Mountain

Martiny Saddlery

Marryanne’s Jewelry

Cross My Heart Bemer

Rockin Zen Rodeo Photography

Skyhorse Saddlery

Western Bronze Sculptures

Rocking S Saddle Shop

Raymond Silver Co/ The Classy Trailer

Draw it out Vet Strength Liniment

Western Reflections

Teresa and Bill Black

Rusty Brown Jewelry

Equine Empowerment

Toni Kay Tolle

Tonya Davidson Jewelry

Hannah Catalino

The Mad Cow Co.

LEATHER WORK

Mary Kitzmiller

Yonder Horse

Casey Curtis Design CL Custom Leather

Greeley Hat Works

HOME DECOR/ OTHER

Martin Boots

Aris Hair Make up

Desert Sage

Mt Wild Rags

Cimarron Creek Essentials

Gypsy Belt Co

Out of the Blue Emporium

Door Wide Open Home Decor

Hollow Bone

Paige 1912

Everything by Erin

JBD Leather

Paris Montana

Flat Hat Creative

DX Designs

Ranch Chic Corral

Happy Toy Maker

Magpie West

Rusty Sagebrush

Longhorn Antiques/ Bill’s Rawhide Braiding

MJ Leather

ART Clara Smith Western Art Diamond B Creations

APPAREL Brit West Bootitude Couture West

Shorty’s Caboy Hats

Classic Leather

Montana Pro Rodeo Nicole Wines Priefert Purina Rockin J Equine Horse Stalls Sweet Iron Ranch Border Collies Sweet Horse Herbs Western Made Co Women in Ranching Wrangler

Paige’s Leather

Offering registered Charolais replacement heifers and bulls in Gunnison, Colorado

High elevation cattle - born and raised at 8000 feet www.CranorCharolais.com • Hannah Cranor: 970-275-4026 • cranorcharolais@gmail.com

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artofthecowgirl.com

Not your daddy’s cowboy magazine.

PROUD SPONSOR

cowgirlmagazine.com

Our Mission A horsewomen through its event and other year-round platforms, and to provide rt of the Cowgirl’s mission is twofold: to celebrate accomplished artisans and

funding through its Fellowship Program for emerging artists in the development of their crafts and businesses.

The Art of the Cowgirl event is a gathering to celebrate cowgirls and their contributions to western lifestyle and culture through workshops, horsemanship clinics, an all-women’s ranch rodeo, music, art auction, competitions and an all-women’s horse sale.

The Fellowship Program supports emerging artists and expands their knowledge and skills through mentoring by Master Artists in their respective fields. In 2020, five recipients completed fellowships to enrich, empower and educate while honoring western heritage — whether it be through art, functional trades or horsemanship. This year, six Recipients will be chosen to complete Fellowships with the 2021 Master Artists.

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artofthecowgirl.com

Thank You to Our Sponsors

artofthecowgirl.com

Art of the Cowgirl

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Featuring Fellowship Live Auction Event Location Gallatin County Fairgrounds 901 N. Black Ave., Bozeman, MT 59715 406-582-3270

Staff Tammy Pate Founder Mesa Pate Horse Event and Sale Director Jaimie Stoltzfus Fellowship and Sponsorship Director

26 Barbara Van Cleve

Marilyn Callaway Trade Show Director Hailey Stewart Social Media Director Kim Williamson Merchandise Director Amber Schmutz Horse Event and Sale Secretary Sierra Brown Horse Event and Sale Director Assistant Savanna Simmons Ranch Rodeo Event Coordinator

Production Staff

52 Kelsey Love Thomas

Jena McRell Social Media Content and Editorial Editor Heather Heater Graphic Design Bart Ashford Creative Director Creative direction, graphic design and production support by GRANT COMPANY www.grantcompany.net

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58 artofthecowgirl.com

Table of Contents Note from Founder, Tammy Pate............................... 4

The Fellowship Program...................................... 34-35

Venue Map................................................................. 6-7

Silversmith Fellowship........................................ 36-38

Vendor Listing.............................................................. 8

Rawhide Braiding and Horse Hair Hitching Fellowship.......................... 40-42

About Art of the Cowgirl........................................... 10

Saddle Making Fellowship.................................. 44-46

Sponsors...................................................................... 11

Horsemanship Fellowship................................... 48-50

Art of the Cowgirl Team/ In this Issue................... 12-13

Photography Master Barbara Van Cleve..................52-53

Highlights of 2021 Summer Event........................... 14

Fine Art Fellowship.................................................... 54

2021 Master Artists.............................................. 16-17

Betty Kunesh Legacy Award.................................56-57

2021 Presenters and Clinicians........................... 18-21

World’s Greatest Horsewoman Competition.................................. 58-60

Official Event Photographers................................... 22

A Tribute to Fannie Sperry Steele....................... 62-63

2021 Hands-On Workshops Overview...................... 23

A Tribute to Julee Brady...................................... 64-65

Wrangler Main Stage Events.................................... 24

2021 World’s Greatest Horsewoman, Patty Ralls.................................... 66-68

Fellowship Live Auction presented

by Art of the West Magazine................................. 26-28

2021 Woman of the West, Barbra Schulte....................................................... 70-71

Art of the Cowgirl Merchandise Booth.................... 30

Cowboys a Documentary Portrait.......................... 72-74

Cowdog Rodear Trial.................................................. 32

Ad Index....................................................................... 80

artofthecowgirl.com

Art of the Cowgirl

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Welcome to Art of the Cowgirl SUMMER EVENT IN BOZEMAN, MONTANA

A encourage the continuation of western art traditions and

rt of the Cowgirl was born as a dream of Tammy Pate’s to

horsemanship which has evolved and grown into what it is today.

Art of the Cowgirl is more than just an event. It is a community of women collaborating, supporting, and encouraging one another on the journey.

The Bozeman Summer event will include some original elements of Art of the Cowgirl as well as the addition of some new offerings. Each year brings a unique flavor with different presenters, Master Artists, competitors, and vendors.

Hands-on workshops and riding clinics will begin Wednesday, June 23rd and will continue into Thursday and Friday. Art of the Cowgirl’s mission is to educate and the addition of interactive workshops and riding clinics is a way for participants to work closely with women in the field to learn new skills and take home a piece of art or gear. Auditors are welcome at any riding clinic happening during the event as part of the daily pass.

Attendees can gather to admire art in the forms of leather, paints, horsehair, voices, wool, silver, equine, and rawhide throughout the event. Be sure to go through the Fellowship Hall to connect with our Master Artist and Fellowship Recipients. The silent auction will be happening throughout the event until noon on Sunday in the Fellowship Hall so be sure to put a bid on the beautiful items available. All proceeds benefit the Fellowship Program.

Enjoy some of the best shopping throughout the four days at over 80 vendor booths in the Trade Show, most of whom have prepared for months to bring their finest and best handmade arts.

Exciting competitions will be happening during the event.

Thursday will be the All Women’s Bridle Horse Challenge where 50 cowgirls will be competing for the buckle and a guaranteed entry into the 2022 World’s Greatest Horsewoman competition.

The All Women’s Ranch Rodeo presented by COWGIRL Magazine

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will kick off on Friday and the top five teams will come back for the finals Saturday night.

The first annual Cow Dog Rodear Trial will be held on Saturday and the finals will be Saturday night. This competition is a point and time event wherein the stock savvy and skill of the dog, rider, and horse are put to the test. The competition centers around maneuvering a small group of cattle through a number of obstacles in a set amount of time.

Round up your kids and let them compete for a buckle in the kids dummy roping contest at noon on Saturday in the Priefert Arena. Be sure to stop by the Buckaroo Corral on the East side of the Merck Animal Health Arena for fun kid activities during the whole event!

Enjoy the evening program Saturday night with a concert followed by our Fellowship Live Art Auction presented by Art of the West Magazine. This auction will feature 14 items from our Masters and Recipients, on the Montana Silversmith Auction Stage.

Spectators can learn about being in tune with their horses and being in tune with themselves as they watch the demonstrations happening each day in the Merck Animal Health Arena, Purina Indoor Arena, and Priefert Arena. Master Artist and Recipient Demonstrations, Presentations, and Music will be on the Wrangler Main Stage and featuring some incredible talent.

Visit the 1922 Film stage to relax and watch a lineup of great documentaries and movies playing throughout each day. The Cowboys Documentary will be featured at Noon Friday-Sunday with a live Q&A with Creative Producer, Feli Funke.

Settle in on Sunday afternoon with your bidding number in hand for the Elite Horse and Working Cow Dog Sale presented by Western Horseman, featuring established ranch and performance horses and working cowdogs.

We hope you enjoy the Art of the Cowgirl Summer Event and thank you for your support of our mission.

artofthecowgirl.com

Meet Our Master Artists Teresa Black

Master Braider & Horse Hair Hitcher

T horse hair hitching.

eresa Black of Plush, Oregon, is an expert in rawhide braiding and

Originally exposed to leather work, Teresa discovered rawhide braiding in 2000 when she met Bill Black, renowned western gear maker. They married in 2001, and soon after, Bill began teaching Teresa the art of braiding a reata and she has been braiding ever since.

Their daughter, Montana, was born in 2004 and is starting to braid and do leather work as well. Teresa has established herself as a talented horsewoman, artist and maker in the western industry.

Lindy Burch Master Horsewoman

L the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Open Futurity indy Burch began blazing trails in 1980 when she captured

Championship with a record 225.5 points. She was the first woman in the sport’s history to win the prestigious event.

She conducted a cutting clinic for the staff of the Oxbow Ranch, owned

by Dan Lufkin, co-founder of the famous Wall Street firm of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenerette. They formed a partnership that saw Oxbow Ranch become a leader among cutting horse owners and breeders.

Ranked among cutting’s all-time leading money earners, with more than $4 million earned to date, Lindy has not missed an NCHA Futurity since she first performed at Fort Worth in 1978 and has been an Open Finalist or Semi Finalist most years.

Kelly Martin Master Bootmaker

K and leather shops throughout the western U.S.

elly Martin’s bootmaking journey can be traced back to ranches

Her dad, George, began building boots for working cowboys in the early 80s, in addition to his own saddles, chaps and other leather goods.

Her mom, Sharron, worked alongside her dad in the leather shop, building chinks, purses and belts. Her mom stitched all of the boot tops, while her dad designed the cowboy half sole they put on their boots.

Kelly says her dad’s knowledge and support helped her earn her place in the bootmaker’s trade. She built her first solo pair of boots in 1990. Her goal is to make something unique for everyone, so the design part of building boots is her favorite.

Today, Kelly is based out of Benson, Arizona building boots in her shop and growing her jean company, Branded Denim by Martin and Co.

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Nancy Martiny Master Saddlemaker

N

ancy Martiny is a second-generation leatherworker and fourth-generation rancher from Idaho.

Following in her father’s footsteps, who made purses, belts and wallets (and eventually built himself a saddle), Nancy learned the basics of carving leather from him and a lifelong passion was born.

Nancy had the great honor of receiving lessons from Master Saddlemaker Dale Harwood. After building the first saddle for herself, and the next one for her kids, she started getting orders from friends, and a thirty-year career began. She continued her education over the years by attending workshops and studying the work of past and current masters of the art.

Nancy currently lives with her husband, Jim, on their 130-year-old family ranch, where they raise beef cattle and enjoy passing their knowledge on to their grandchildren.

Amy Raymond Master Silversmith

A ranch in eastern Oregon with their two boys, Pace and Colter.

my Raymond and her husband run cows for his fifth-generation

She got her start on the silversmithing journey by working with ring builder Travis Stringer. To learn more about making bits and spurs, she worked with local reputable makers, Hugh Coffelt and Jim Baltzor.

Knowing there is no end to what you can learn in this craft, Amy wanted to keep pushing her skills and artistic style. She sought out masters in the trade to further her knowledge and skills. During this time she trained with Cowgirl Hall of Fame inductee and master engraver Diane Scalese; and world-renowned bit and spur maker Ernie Marsh.

For the last eight years, Amy has headed up the Pendleton Cattle Barons Bit, Spur and Engraving Contest. She also teaches classes with maker and silversmith, The Classy Trailer - Jill Skinner.

Lee Smith Master Horsewoman

L the “Essential Elements of Horsemanship” with people who wish to ee Smith has traveled the world sharing what she believes to be

learn about quality horsemanship and stockmanship, for more than 40 years. She has conducted hundreds of clinics and demonstrations, as well as teaching ranch horse classes at the Diamond S. Lee considers herself a student of the horse, and says she’s lucky to have shared her experience with thousands of horse enthusiasts from around the globe.

A gifted and eloquent teacher, Lee has extraordinary insight into both horses and people. She shares what she sees as if speaking for the horse, and provides her students with the opportunity to observe the communication exchange between horse and human — teaching people how to learn from the horse.

artofthecowgirl.com

Art of the Cowgirl

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Meet Our Presenters & Clinicians S great working cow dogs. She and her husband, Terry, managed

onya Blomberg is no stranger to good performance horses and

the horse division at the historic Tejon Ranch in Lebec, Calif., for more than 12 years. During this time, they bred, raised and have shown some of the best reined cow horses, cutters and reiners — all while raising two kids: Will, 32, and Tawnee 27.

Sonya and Terry now reside in Long Branch, Texas, where they own Sweet Iron Ranch Border Collies, breeding and training cattle dogs, predominantly Border Collies, for themselves and others. They also run Sim Angus and Beefmaster cattle, and performance horses.

Sonya has always had a passion for good working dogs. She’s been working on her own bloodline of dogs.

Sonya Blomberg Long Branch, Texas • Sweet Iron Ranch Border Collies

C and drive for success knows no limit. She is a renowned

ara Brewer has always had a passion for horses, her willingness

Cara Brewer Jay, Oklahoma • Cara Brewer Cutting Horses

horsewoman, wife, mom and rancher. Cara and her husband, Scott Brewer, own and operate Cara Brewer Cutting Horses, a training facility along with a ranching operation that is located in Jay, Oklahoma.

Cara specializes in training, lessons and sales for all levels of horses, as well as catering to Amateurs and Non Pros. She has NCHA earnings of almost 1.2 million and is a NCHA super stakes open champion, three times NCHA Futurity Finalist and multiple aged event Finalist.

Cara is a true icon for the sport of cutting.

L the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Open Futurity indy Burch began blazing trails in 1980 when she captured

Championship with a record 225.5 points. She was the first woman in the sport’s history to win the prestigious event.

To date, Lindy hasn’t quit setting milestones. She was elected NCHA president in 2000, becoming the first and, as yet, only female leader in the organization’s 72-year history. Prior to that, she was the first woman to serve as president of the Pacific Coast Cutting Horse Association (PCCHA).

Currently, Lindy chairs the NCHA Horse and Cattle Welfare Task Force, serves on the NCHA Finance and Limited Age Event Committees and several other committees.

Lindy Burch Weatherford, Texas • Chairman at NCHA Horse

H techniques across the US, New Zealand, Australia, and Europe. annah Catalino specializes in teaching Liberty training

Hannah Catalino Whitehall, Montana • Liberty Horsemanship

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She has competed successfully in many Mustang Makeover Events, and has a special place in her heart for mustangs.

Her facility in Whitehall, Montana is designed to help teach students how to gentle their own wild mustang with kind gentling techniques. Her passion for wild horses is not limited to the American Mustang.

Truly a student of the horse, Hannah has worked with wild stallions in New Zealand, studied wild brumbies in Australia, and was the first American to compete in the Germany Mustang Makeover.

artofthecowgirl.com

R industry. She was the youngest instructor at MSU to teach the Colt eata Clark has spent her whole life submerged in the horse

Starting Class. It is now the top college colt programs in the country.

Producing quality horses to offer to the public and education for those looking to buy is truly her passion. When Gabe Clark and her joined forces in 2017 they joined their efforts in teaching, producing, and selling quality ranch horses.

After traveling around the country working for several years on different cattle operations, Gabe and Reata were married June, 2020 and are now managing the historic OW ranch in Decker, Montana where they run cows, and produce quality ranch horses and prospects.

Reata Clark Decker, Montana • OW Ranch

S only woman to win the National Reined Cowhorse Snaffle Bit andy Collier has the unique distinction of being the first and

Sandy Collier Santa Maria, California • BeUnstoppable

Futurity. She is a multiple NRCHA and AQHA World Champion, and was reserve limit/intermediate open futurity champion at the 1997 NRCHA Reining Futurity.

Sandy was inducted into The Cowgirl Hall of Fame, NRCHA Hall of Fame and has been the recipient of the Monty Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award. Sandy is an NRCHA, AAA and AQHA judge and has judged the prestigious NRCHA and AQHA World shows.

Her diverse knowledge, success, understanding of how horses think and learn, and her graceful riding and concise presentation, make her an internationally renowned clinician.

B Equine Empowerment and is a licensed mental health

eth Godbey is the founder and director of the non-profit,

counselor, certified therapeutic recreation specialist and equine specialist in mental health and learning.

She is a certified PATH instructor, trained in Natural Lifemanship (trauma focused therapy), level one and two, with EAGALA and is a certified equine specialist in mental health and learning. She has established equine programs with many populations including Women in ranching, hospice, foster care agencies, inpatient substance recovery programs and CASA (court appointed special advocates).

Beth and her husband, Ben, love raising their three wild kids, grassfed beef and good ranch horses in Colorado.

Beth Godbey Ridgway, Colorado • Equine Empowerment

S town, Durham, where horses were an intricate part of her growing taci Grosskopf was born and raised in a small Northern California

Staci Grosskopf Utica, Montana • Buckaroo Businesses

artofthecowgirl.com

up. High school rodeos and speed events eventually gave way to her real love which is ranch related roping, horsemanship and cow work.

Staci’s time in Oregon’s high desert and the grassy hills of Montana, have influenced her style of roping. This has taught her the importance of being able to adjust to any given situation.

She met her husband, Scott, at the famous Mosquito Festival, where they found that they shared the same passion for the western way of life. Together they own and operate Buckaroo Businesses, that has become one of the largest makers and distributors of ranch ropes and quality traditional gear in the U.S.

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M Texas. She uses her years of knowledge gleaned from

ary Kitzmiller is a horse trainer and clinician based in Kemp,

working with the Horse Industry’s leading professionals to create outstanding performance horses. These skills led her to find incredible success in the Extreme Mustang Makeover Competition, winning over $50,000 in that event.

Mary has also earned the honor of being the only woman chosen for Road to the Horse’s elite Wild Card Competition in 2014 and 2015. It is Mary’s passion to share what she knows with the public through clinics, lessons, and demonstrations. Mary subscribes to one key element in her horsemanship, and that is simply: Follow the Horse. The horse is never wrong, Listen, Watch and Follow.

Mary Kitzmiller Kemp, Texas • Horse Trainer

T affiliate of the national Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association. he Treasure State, Montana, CMSA was founded in 2014 as an

In the years since we have established a reputation for hosting quality events and welcoming new shooters.

Our goal is always to share the sport with anyone interested, while maintaining a safe and fun environment.

Featured is founding member and current president Beth Kluesener. For more information you can visit www.cmsaevents.com, or contact Beth at 406-579-1343.

Treasure State CMSA North Mountain, Montana • CMSA

S among the elk. She and her husband, Scott, own and operate

andy Seaton Sallee grew up in Yellowstone Park riding horseback

Black Mountain Outfitters, a wilderness ranch that offers hunting, fishing and horseback riding.

They also train and sell trail horses and mules. Sandy spends much of her year living in a tent in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, where she finds massive inspiration for poetry from their many horses, mules, dogs and everyday life.

Sandy’s unique writing has been featured in magazines, books, newspapers, poetry gatherings and TV video specials across America and Canada. She won the top female cowboy poet in the nation award from the Academy of Western Artists in 2016.

Sandy Seaton Sallee Paradise Valley, Montana • Black Mountain Outfitters

B horse trainer, publisher of online programs, clinician, author and

arbra Schulte is a certified personal performance coach, a cutting

Barbra Schulte Brenham, Texas • Personal Performance Coach

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speaker. In all she does, Barbra helps riders access and maintain a state of grounded calmness and confidence in mind, body and emotion.

Barbra is an honoree in the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame and in the National Cutting Horse Association Members’ Hall of Fame. She was awarded the National Female Equestrian of the Year Award by the AQHA and the Women’s Sports Foundation.

In May 2020, she received the American Horse Publications’ Equine Industry Vision Award for her positive impact on the entire equine industry. In 2021, she will receive Western Horseman’s Women of the West Award at the Art of the Cowgirl.

artofthecowgirl.com

L and her husband, Mark, have a cow-calf operation and raise

ee Smith lives on a cattle ranch near Estancia, New Mexico. She

quality Quarter Horses at their Harmony Hills Ranch.

For more than 40 years, Lee has traveled the world sharing what she believes to be the “Essential Elements of Horsemanship” with people who wish to learn about quality horsemanship and stockmanship. She has conducted hundreds of clinics and demonstrations, as well as teaching ranch horse classes at the Diamond S. Lee considers herself a student of the horse, and says she’s lucky to have shared her experience with thousands of horse enthusiasts from around the globe.

Lee Smith Estancia, New Mexico • Harmony Hills Ranch

K

Kelsey Love Thomas Rising Star, Texas • Love Ranch horses

elsey Love Thomas has run the gamut. The horsewoman holds eight world titles: She’s a five-time Ranch Horse Association of America world champion, two-time world champion in Women’s Ranch Rodeo Association, and a world champion in the Ranch Cowgirls Rodeo Association. In 2020, Thomas was named the first World’s Greatest Horsewoman at Art of the Cowgirl riding her mare, Kit Kay Jerrie, fondly known as “Elvira.”

Thomas grew up in Parkfield, California, where she high school rodeoed before working for cutting horse trainers Russ and Janet Westfall in California. She later trained horses for Wagon Wheel Ranch in Lometa, Texas. Now, Thomas and her husband, Buddy, train and sell horses from their home in Rising Star, Texas.

P spitfire is a 10-year-old and is known for her signature ponies iper Yule, known as the young gun of the rodeo industry! This

and her cowgirl heart. Together with her ponies they have achieved: 2019 Canada Pro Rodeo Act of the Year, The Calgary Stampede Trick Rider, Opening Act of 2019 NFR Canada Night and performed 3X at the Canadian Finals Rodeo, National Western Stock Show & San Antonio Rodeo.

This little girl is as kind as she is tough and comes from the hard grass country in Southern Alberta and is a 5th generation ranch kid! You can find her on the road in Pro Rodeo with the elite female trick and fancy riders from Magic in Motion Trick Riders - Madison MacDonald & Shelby Pierson!

Piper Yule Alberta, Canada • Yule Ponies

- P Quarter Horses Lundbreck, AB, Canada F www.barpquarterhorses.weebly.com Elite Ranch Horse Sale Consignments 2017 Gelding “Bugsy” & 2013 Gelding “Straw”

2007 Gray, 5 panel n/n, 2021 fee $1000 Royal Quick Dash Bare Necessities Shake Em Six Barely Royal Bugs Alive in 75 Royal Shake Em Native Affair

artofthecowgirl.com

2017 Bay Roan, 5 Panel n/n, 2021 fee $800

Pamela Didier F pameladidier@hotmail.com F 403-628-2402 / 780-898-9845 Follow us on FB- Bar P Quarter Horses & IG @bar.p

Paddys Irish Whiskey Whiskeys Sun Sun O Lena Sugar Whiskeys Son Playgun Audacious Playgun Genuinely CG Truly Genuine a Playgun

Art of the Cowgirl

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Meet Our Photographers N McFarland Productions, in 2014. Her passion and focus have always

atalie McFarland, the Official Event Photographer, started her business,

remained the same; capturing, understanding, preserving and promoting ranching, farming, western fashion and the western lifestyle.

McFarland Productions specializes in professional photography and videography for ranches, farms, brands, fashion, makers, rodeos, events, ranch weddings and more – wherever your story is located. Telling authentic stories and helping to grow businesses or capture the lifestyle is important to McFarland Productions’ team. www.mcfarlandproductions.com

K presented by COWGIRL Magazine and the All Women’s Bridle Horse Challenge. risten Schurr is the Official Photographer for the All Women’s Ranch Rodeo

Kristen is from Southeast Montana and specializes in capturing how you live, love, or work out west. When she’s not in the saddle or helping on the ranch, you can find her behind her camera capturing bold images for the cowgirl or cowboy in us all. Kristen is excited to share her vision and hopes her images are ones you look back on for years to come.

Purchase Kristen’s photos after the event at www.kschurrphoto.com

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Hands-OnWorkshops A continue to expand the opportunities for participants to work hands-on with our s part of Art of the Cowgirl’s mission to educate, empower and collaborate, we

Instructors and Masters.

At this year’s event, we offered 13 clinics and workshops.

These workshops and clinics support the funding for our Fellowship Program and we would like to thank the instructors who shared their time and talent as well as all those who participated.

Lee Smith- Horsemanship Clinic Sandy Collier and Barbra Schulte- Be Unstoppable Clinic Sonya Blomberg- Stock Dog Clinic Cara Brewer- Cutting Clinic Teresa and Bill Black- Bosal Building Class Tia Watson- Cinch Building Class Julie Baugher- Earring and Headstall Building Class Lynda Thurston, Joni Harms and Olivia Harms- Song Writers Workshop Amy Raymond and Jill Skinner- Western Silver Jewelry Class Kimberly Beer and Phyllis Burchett- Photography Retreat Nancy Martiny- Advanced Leather Class Kelly Martin- Moccasin Building Class Natalie McFarland- Video Production Class Clinics and workshops will continue to be offered at future events and we hope you can join in if you haven’t done so already!

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Wrangler Main Stage B happening on our Wrangler Main Stage.

e inspired by the Master Artist Demonstrations, Presentations and Music

The 2020 Master Artist and Recipients will be sharing about their time together and knowledge gained during their Fellowship. 2021 Master Artists will be presenting on stage sharing their trades and the journey that led them to where they are today. We know you will be inspired!

Make sure to catch Barbra Schulte Friday morning on stage presenting the 10 Mental Skills needed to take to the show ring.

In between demonstrations, enjoy music from talented Cowgirls across the country. Enjoy Cowgirl Poetry from Sandy Sallee, awarded top female cowboy poet in the nation from the Academy of Western Artists in 2016.

Joni and Olivia Harms, mother and daughter, from Oregon are both traditional country-western singers and songwriters each with their own respective styles.

Joni Harms had two Billboard top 20 singles and countless country western hits.

She has played the Grand Ole Opry, Carnegie Hall in NYC and is getting inducted into the Western Music Hall of fame this year. Olivia Harms spends half her time in Nashville to write and record, while basing out of Oregon and touring the other half of the time. Her newest album being released May 21st is about reviving traditional country music.

Featured at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering for the past seven years, Brigid Reedy is a singer, songwriter, fiddler and poet carrying forward classic cowboy music, poetry, and rich Montana fiddle traditions. A charismatic performer since the age of two when she first yodeled at the Pioneer Saloon, Brigid (now twenty) has traveled widely, carrying with her boundless enthusiasm, grace, passion, and soul.

Brigid will be joined by her little brother, Johnny “Guitar,” who at only fifteen has transcended the role of sideman, becoming a full-fledged collaborator, possessing a phenomenal gift for rhythm and extraordinary musical sensibilities.

Genuine Cowgirls from Big Valley, Alberta Canada showcases the song writing talents of Lynda Thurston in collaboration with mother/daughter duo Lori and Dallas Gordon. Genuine Cowgirls is the perfect name for the trio who make their living as ranchers, horsewomen, and western artists. Get ready to pull up a chair and join first hand on a musical journey that will warm your heart.

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IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BIDDING FELLOWSHIP LIVE AUCTION • PRESENTED BY ART OF THE WEST MAGAZINE

Featuring custom pieces from Art of the Cowgirl’s Master Artists and Recipients All Proceeds benefit the Fellowship Program June 26th, 2021 • 5:00 PM MST • Purina Stage Online Bidding Available through CCI.Live • Register to live bid at Show Office

Lot 1 “Star Spangled Cowgirl”

Lot 2

Ladies Chinks

Donated by: Kinsey Artfitch, 2019 Fine Art Recipient Donated by: Nancy Martiny and Chelsea Sazama, 2020 Master Saddlemaker and Recipient

Details: 21x24 Original Oil Painting

Lot 3 Quirt

Donated by: Teresa Black, Master Horse Hair Hitcher and Rawhide Braider

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Lot 4 One Spot in Lindy Burch Clinic

Donated by: Lindy Burch, 2021 Master Horsewoman

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Lot 5

Lot 6

Headstall

Donated by: Nancy Martiny, Master Saddlemaker

Donated by: Amy Raymond and Nancy Martiny, Master Silversmith and Master Saddle Maker collaboration piece

Details: Lady LieuAllen tree; 15” seat; String Conchos

by Amy Smith

Lot 7

Bit

Lot 8

Two Spots in Lee Smith Clinic

Donated by: Amy Erickson, 2020 Bit Making Recipient

Donated by: Lee Smith, Master Horsewoman

Details: Nevada Cheek; Half Breed Mouth Piece

Lot 9

Donated by: Chelsea Sazama, 2020 Saddle Making Recipient

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Saddle

Ladies Chinks

Lot 10

Custom Pair of Boots

Donated by: Kelly Martin, Master Boot Maker

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Lot 11 Romal Reins

DON’T FORGET

Donated by: Melanie Kimpton and Teresa Black, 2020 Master Rawhide Braider and Recipient

Lot 12 Custom Hat

Donated by: Trent Johnson, 2019 Guest Master Hat Maker Details: Greeley Hat Works Pure Beaver Custom Made Hat

Lot 13 Spurs

Donated by: Annie Wangsgardk, 2019 Silversmith Recipient

Lot 14 Kids Saddle

TO CHECK OUT OUR SILENT AUCTION ITEMS

Our silent auction will be held in the Fellowship Hall during the event. We have beautiful items donated from our recipients, sponsors, and supporters of our event. There is art, western gear, fashion accessories and more! All proceeds from the silent auction will go towards the Fellowship Program.

Auction will run from Thursday June 24th through Noon on Sunday the 27th.

Must be present to win or have a representative present to pay and take the item by 5pm Sunday.

Donated by: Toni Kay Tolle, 2019 Saddle Making Recipient Details: 13” Seat, Olin Young Tree, Tapaderos, Silver from MT Silversmiths and Sarah Smith

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PURCHASE RAFFLE TICKETS VISIT US AT THE ART OF THE COWGIRL MERCHANDISE BOOTH

WIN THE ART OF THE COWGIRL PRIEFERT ROPING CHUTE

$ 20 PER TICKET OR $ 100 FOR 8 TICKETS WINNER WILL BE D RAWN AT THE E LITE HORSE SALE ON SUNDAY THE 27TH • Winner is responsible for delivery arrangements and charges •

artofthecowgirl.com

Support Our Mission, In Style MAKE SURE TO STOP BY THE ART OF THE COWGIRL BOOTH FOR BRANDED MERCHANDISE AND UNIQUE PIECES. The Art of the Cowgirl 2021 Souvenir Poster features the “Star Spangled Cowgirl” Painting by Kinsey Artfitch, 2019 Fine Art Fellowship Recipient.

The Montana Silversmith Art of the Cowgirl line features bracelets, scarf slides, and bolo ties inspired by the hand-drawn artwork of Tammy Pate.

Silk Scarves designed by Tammy Pate and 2019 Photography Recipient, Lauren Summers.

Hats, T-shirts, Mugs, Water Bottles and More!

JUNE 24-27, 2021 GA L LAT I N CO U N TY F A I RGRO U N DS | B OZE M A N, M T

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Equine Empowerment was founded by Beth Godbey and is based out of Ridgeway, Colorado.

Equine Empowerment’s mission is to empower brave hearted actions and inspire positive changes in individuals, families, and communities through horse therapy.

www.equine-empowerment.org Equine Empowerment is a 501C non-profit organization, and is Art of the Cowgirl’s Fiscal Sponsor for the Fellowship Program. All donations to the Fellowship Program, including items purchased in the Live or Silent Auction are accounted through Equine Empowerment and are tax deductible.

Art of the Cowgirl appreciates Equine Empowerment’s support and collaboration of the Fellowship Program.

Find Your Outlaw Spirit CUSTOM S ILVER & L EATHER G OODS

(972) 571-5269 | Kaci@OutlawSpiritTexas.com

OutlawSpirit.com

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2021 Ranch Dog Rodear Competition SATURDAY JUNE 26TH, 2021 Organized by Sonya Blomberg of Sweet Iron Ranch

anch Cow Rodear Competition is a point and time R event where the stock savvy and skill of the dog, rider and horse are put to the test. The competition

centers around maneuvering a small group of cattle through a number of obstacles in a set amount of time.

This fast growing sport originated out west.

The goal of the Ranch Cow Dog Competition event is to accurately simulate the way in which cow dogs are utilized in everyday cattle operations on working cattle ranches. And, since most cattle operations take care not to “run the weight” off their cattle, the Ranch Cow Dog Competition places a great deal of emphasis on the stockmanship of the handler and the quiet and controlled manner in which the dog maneuvers the cattle.

The event is unique from other cow dog competitions in that the majority of the obstacles require both the dog and horse/rider to negotiate. For this reason, use of the horse is not restricted in any way. With the handler on horseback, Ranch Cow Dog Competition provides a great place for individuals to enjoy their good cow horses and work their good cow dogs through courses that either take place in an arena or cross country, or both! This concept of truly utilizing the horse has made the Ranch Cow Dog event attractive to the ranching and western performance horse industries.

The Ranch Cow Dog ultimately brings together the cow dog and the cow horse in a forum designed to capitalize on the stock sense and maneuverability shared by both.

With minimal rules governing the competitions and great prize money, the main emphasis is on fun!

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Paying it Forward ART OF THE COWGIRL’S FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM INSPIRES WESTERN ARTISTS TO NEW HEIGHTS. Story by AOC Production Staff

hen Tammy Pate was first dreaming about W Art of the Cowgirl, bringing together experienced western artists with aspiring makers and providing mentorship was the ultimate goal.

“I thought it was very important that we honor women in the industry and let them be mentors,” Pate says. “Our Fellowship Program encourages arts and trades among western women, both continuing tradition and inspiring innovation.”

Art of the Cowgirl’s Fellowship Program provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for western artists to learn or refine their passion with some of the most talented makers in the business. Whether it’s photography, a functional trade or horsemanship, Art of the Cowgirl Fellowships seek to enrich, empower and educate, while honoring western heritage.

Master Artists offer up to two weeks of teaching at their various locations for Art of the Cowgirl Fellowship Recipients. Fellowship Recipients also receive funding to travel to the Art of the Cowgirl event, where they present their work and donate an item to the Fellowship Auction, which supports the next class of aspiring artists.

This year’s Fellowship Recipients represent a group of talented women from across the West in the following trades: bit making, horsemanship, photography, horse hair hitching/rawhide braiding and saddlemaking.

Follow along with their journey in the following pages.

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The Art of: Silversmithing REQUIRING A STEADY HAND AND WELL TRAINED EYE, JOHN MINCER SHARES HIS KNOWLEDGE AND INTEREST WITH ART OF THE COWGIRL FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENT, AMY ERICKSON. Story and Photos by AOC Production Staff

t all starts with the art,” states John Mincer, 2020 Guest Master Silversmith. At John’s shop in “I Fallon, Nevada, he mentors recipient Amy Erickson as they collaborate on her piece during her time in the Art of the Cowgirl Fellowship Program.

Amy Erickson developed a great love for horses and everything western from a very early age growing up on her family’s sheep and cattle ranch in Utah. “The plan for myself has always been to evolve into bit and spur making,” Amy says. “So I am truly thankful and excited for the great opportunity to learn from John Mincer.”

John is a 4th generation rancher. John has been a lifelong resident of Nevada and the Great Basin region. He first learned engraving at a cow camp on the Stillwater Ranch in Nevada 37 years ago.

Chet Smith taught him most of what he needed to send him on his way as a silversmith and engraver. He later learned to build bits and spurs from Dan Price, and was influenced by Hugh Weaver, but refining the art and developing his own style he credits to master engraver Franz Marktl.

“What we’re looking for through this fellowship program is horsemanship skills basically in connection with how to build a bit.” John says. He found the perfect fit for a Recipient in Amy. Amy became interested in silverwork, bits and spurs after attending the Elko poetry gathering as a teenager, but did not have the opportunity to pursue the interest at that time. She instead went to work in a saddle shop in Vernal, Utah and learned leather craft.

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“Creativity is a gift and if you don’t use it, you could lose it.”

John Mincer

“I’ve never known life without horses,” says Amy. “Everything came for the horse itself and bits were a part of that.” When the chance to work with John came along, Amy knew it was not only a once in a lifetime opportunity but a way to fulfill her dream to learn the art of bit making.

As John teaches Amy about the function of each bit and let their creativity come through their engraving, John and Amy both agree that the most important part of bit making is to make sure that the function is going to be there. “The bit is a tool to communicate with our horse. So the most important thing is the function, first and foremost,” says Amy Erickson.

Amy recognizes the challenges that come with bit making and the importance of the attention to detail, something John is very familiar with in his experience of the trade. “Every time you adjust one thing,” Amy says, “you’ve got to double check everything else because you’re constantly readjusting and keeping everything symmetrical, pleasing to the eye, in balance.”

There are not many female bit makers in the industry, and John is confident that Amy is going to take her bit making to the next level. “I’m really happy to know you are going to be passing this on,” John tells Amy. “This is going to be a tremendous value to people down the road. You have the passion to learn.

Through Art of the Cowgirl I believe you are going to represent this in a very good way.”

Both John and Amy are passionate about horsemanship and the function and beauty of bits. John believes, “Creativity is a gift and if you don’t use it, you could lose it.”

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The Art of: Horse Hair Hitching & Rawhide Braiding STRAND BY STRAND, BEAUTIFUL ARTWORK IS CRAFTED THROUGH THIS TIME-TESTED SKILL. Story and Photos by AOC Production Staff

a quiet workshop near Plush, Oregon, Master Artist I nside Teresa Black explains each step carefully.

To her left sits 2020 Horse Hair Hitching/Rawhide Braiding Fellowship Recipient Melanie Kimpton-Weyant.

She balances a wooden frame on her lap as she prepares to begin her first hitching project.

Melanie, a fifth-generation rancher from southwest Montana, spent a week learning and working alongside Teresa to master her craft and further develop her skillset.

“If I can move my fingers that fast, that’s a pretty good goal right there,” Melanie says with a grin, watching Teresa move quickly between each individual piece of hair.

“Hitching is totally new to me. To be able to create something small and continue to improve, so I can continue making traditional western gear — that’s my goal.”

Melanie started braiding in early 2017 with help from her dad, Brian. By May of that year, she completed her first bosal of latigo and kangaroo, and she was hooked.

“Being selected for an Art of the Cowgirl Fellowship means the world to me,” she says. “To have the opportunity to learn more about braiding and how to hitch horse hair is an awesome opportunity. Learning from people who want to pass it on means so much.”

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Teresa patiently watches as Melanie weaves her pieces together. Each strand, each color brings the design into light.

“It is going to take a while,” Teresa says. “But that is why I am here to teach her.”

Growing up learning from her father, a saddlemaker, Teresa had a great interest and appreciation for leather work — and the attention to detail required to build a quality product.

She discovered rawhide braiding in 2000 after meeting renowned western gear maker Bill Black. They were married in 2001, and soon after, he began teaching her the art of braiding a reata, and the rest is history.

“I want to share my craft. I don’t want to keep it to myself,” Teresa says. “That’s why the Art of the Cowgirl Fellowship Program came along. It gives the younger generation an opportunity to create and keep the tradition alive.”

For both Teresa and Melanie, knowing that they are preserving a western trade is the greatest reward.

“I want to share my craft. I don’t want to keep it to myself. ” Teresa Black

“I hate the thought of knowledge being lost,” Melanie says.

“Any way that I can contribute to keeping things going is important to me. These trades are involved in how we train horses, how we work our horses — everything.”

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The Art of: Saddle Making FUNCTION AND STYLE COME TO LIFE WITH EACH STITCH IN A SADDLEMAKER’S WORKSHOP. Story and Photos by AOC Production Staff

t started out with my dad. He’s a mentor, so “I he got me started on the leather carving when I was 15, ” says Nancy Martiny, 2020 Master

carving leather from him while in high school.

She was soon making belts for friends, and a lifelong passion was born.

Nancy is a second-generation leatherworker and fourth-generation rancher from May, Idaho. Following in her father’s footsteps, who made purses, belts and wallets for friends and family (and eventually built himself a saddle), Nancy learned the basics of

Chelsea Sazama, 2020 Saddle Making Fellowship Recipient also has deep roots of leather work in her family. “My great-grandma actually had a boot shop and leather-repair shop, and her wedding ring had been given to me which is now a little good luck charm for me,” shares Chelsea.

Saddle Maker.

“There's really no limit to how far you can go, but you just want to be 1% better every day, then in a hundred days you're a 100% better.”

Chelsea Sazama

Now Chelsea has the opportunity to sit with Nancy in her shop in May, Idaho and garnish the knowledge Nancy is passing down to her. Nancy shares, “I had the opportunity to build a saddle with Dale Harwood. He’s been my main saddle making mentor and still continues to be.”

“I’ve told people it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to work with Nancy because she was taught by Dale Harwood.” says Chelsea. “She’s been doing this for a long time.

The decades of experience and feedback that’s gone into this instruction it’s well worth it.”

For Chelsea, leather working was a hobby at first but it didn’t take long before word-of-mouth started to expand her customer base. Chelsea studied under another leatherworker who gave her the confidence and experience needed to start her own business, Rocking S Saddle Shop.

“Every saddle you build or every headstall you make, you want it to be a little better than the last one. You want to keep building on that,” says Chelsea. “There’s really no limit

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to how far you can go, but you just want to be 1% better every day, then in a hundred days you’re a 100% better.”

Both Nancy and Chelsea create beautiful saddles with hand tooled engraving, but Nancy makes sure to share, “Our main concern is the comfort of the horse because our main objective is to keep that horse happy.”

Nancy has always worked from her home shop, while simultaneously raising her family and helping with the family rodeo business and ranch. “I feel like Art of the Cowgirl is trying to promote the tradition, the quality, the sense of pride, what we call cowboy values,” says Nancy.

“I want to be a part of that with what we do.”

Chelsea is following in Nancy’s footsteps in more ways than one, raising her daughter, helping on the family ranch, and growing her leather business with the goal of passing her knowledge along as well. “I can’t wait to keep learning under Nancy and I’m sure she’s got a lot more to teach me and any future Fellowship Recipients that go to her.”

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The Art of: Horsemanship AN UNSPOKEN TRUST IS BUILT BETWEEN A HORSE AND ITS RIDER. Story and Photos by AOC Production Staff

andy Collier, master of horsemanship, shared her S knowledge and passion of horses with 2020 Art of the Cowgirl Horsemanship Fellowship Recipient, Paula Francis.

“There’s nothing more beautiful than a horse that’s running free and truly exhibiting its strength and power,” says Paula.

Horses have been Paula’s passion through every stage of her life. She grew up riding in her backyard, and later on while attending college at Cal Poly, she was first exposed to the reined cow horse industry.

“That’s where I learned who Sandy Collier was,” Paula says. “I watched her win the National Reined Cow Horse Snaffle Bit Futurity and I thought, ‘Well, if a woman like Sandy can do it, then I can do it.’ And that was 30 years ago.”

Time passed and raising a family set her cow horse dreams aside for a while. But Paula continued to ride and develop her skills at her home near Bakersfield, California.

When she first heard about Art of the Cowgirl’s Fellowship Program — and that Sandy Collier was serving as a mentor — she jumped at the opportunity to apply.

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“I have an insatiable desire to learn,” Paula says. “I am really humble and grateful, because I know there were probably a number of talented women who applied. To be chosen for the opportunity was just amazing.”

According to Master Horsewoman Sandy Collier, her lifelong passion for horses began “when my cells started to divide.” In 2012, Sandy was inducted into The Cowgirl Hall of Fame; and a year later, the NRCHA honored her by inducting her into the NRCHA Hall of Fame.

Sandy’s diverse knowledge, keen understanding of how horses think and learn, graceful riding and concise presentation make her an internationally renowned clinician. Competitors on all levels and disciplines seek to develop her signature polish in their own performance horses.

“I love helping people achieve their dreams — always have,” Sandy says. “When someone really wants to learn about something that I know a lot about, which in this case is cow horses and training, I’m all in.”

Throughout the summer of 2020, Paula has been able to attend several clinics Sandy’s presented both on her own and as part of the Be Unstoppable series with Barb Schulte. In August, Paula traveled to Montana for Sandy’s horsemanship clinic on behalf of Art of the Cowgirl, where she was able to help teach, as well as learn.

“My skills are improving so that I can help other people,” Paula says. “I love that part of it and the vision of Art of the Cowgirl — being able to take what we know and share it with others.”

Sandy believes that the Fellowship Program plays an invaluable role in teaching western trades and skills, and bringing women with shared passions together.

“I love how horses make me feel. That sense of freedom and connection and communication that you can have with a horse, the partnership, and then the fellowship with the people that are involved in horses,” Sandy says. “It’s a way of life, and I love the people that are involved with horses more than anything.”

“I love helping people achieve their dreams - always have.”

Sandy Collier

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Youth Dummy Contest Saturday June 26th at Noon in the Priefert Arena Age Breakdown: 0-5, 6-8, 9-12 & 13+ Entries $10 each Payout four places in each category and great prizes!

• 3 legal head catches, one helper allowed in arena for the youngest age group.

• Contestants that catch all three loops return to Finals.

• Best of three loops

Sign up at the Show Office from Thursday at 9am through Saturday at 11am. Only one entry per child.

The Art of: Photography CAPTURING THE ESSENCE OF THE WEST. Story and Photos by AOC Production Staff

e all need a passion in life, always,” states Barbara Van Cleve, 2020 Master “W Photographer. It is no doubt that Barbara found her passion early in life and paved her way as one of the most well known photographers in the world, capturing the essence of the West.

Barbara has held a camera since she was 11 years old when her parents gave her a “Brownie” camera and a home developing kit. “My parents gave it to me because I begged for it, I guess. I couldn’t draw, I couldn’t paint, I couldn’t do any of that, and I wanted people to know how great ranching was. I wanted something that would enable me to communicate that wonder and beauty of ranching and the hard stuff too.”

Her youthful interest in photography soon grew into a lifelong commitment. Barbara’s work is in public and private collections in the United States as well as internationally.

Take a look at any of Barbara’s photos and you will be captivated by the emotion and authenticity of the ranching life. “People have told me they really pick up the emotion in my photographs so that they are getting my emotion of appreciation for that life which is what I want, “ shares Barbara. “What a wonderful life it was; hard life, tough life, not always pleasant, but beautiful.”

Barbara has dedicated her life to sharing the lifestyle she loves through her work and also sharing her knowledge and experience with others. “ What good is knowledge if you just keep it to yourself?,” Barbara says. “If you teach, you can give to so many other people. That sharing came naturally to me.”

“What good is knowledge if you just keep it to yourself? If you teach, you can give to so many other people.”

Barbara Van Cleve

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The Art of: Flexibility YEAR OF THE PANDEMIC TEACHES US TO EMBRACE THE UNEXPECTED. Story and Photos by AOC Production Staff

his past year brought challenges to all of us and our T 2020 Master Fine Artist and Recipient, Shannon Lawlor and Jessica Howard are a true example of being flexible and

people who have not only became collectors, but stayed in my life as dear friends and some, the sense of having an extended family. Seeing the joy on their faces when I create a piece adaptable. Due to the Canadian border being closed this past for them, feeling their appreciation for my work, is second to year, Shannon and Jessica will complete their time together none. It never ceases to amaze me how deeply appreciative in 2021 and we look forward to people are. How the artwork sharing in the journey this year resonates with them – still “They are the two things I just can’t perplexes me. with this talented pair.

Preserving the West through her work and a passion for the equine define 2020 Master Fine Artist, Shannon Lawlor. Her connection to the land, people, horses and lifestyle of the modern West is palatable in the essence of her work – portrayed through her brush strokes – whether in the soft intensity of an eye of a working ranch horse, or the exquisite detail of a hackamore.

seem to shake. I will always paint and I will always be a cowgirl. I feel it is my responsibility to combine the two in a way that respects, memorializes and inspires everything that the Western culture means to me, my family and this community of hard-working people. people.”

Shannon has a deep sense of Jessica pride in knowing the West is her lifestyle and her people, and that gives her a sense of obligation to authentically preserve it.

Ultimately it is her wide range of collectors who benefit, with the opportunity and gratitude to feel that sense of her love for the West, and are inspired to collect her work. “Many people in the lifestyle of the West collect my work, and those who are removed from it, yet fully appreciate the West – also collect it,” says Lawlor.

“This is by far the greatest residual from doing what I do,” says Lawlor. “Over the years, I have met some wonderful

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For 2020 Fine Art Recipient, Jessica Howard, as soon as her feet could reach the stirrups, she was out riding the same range as her family four generations before her. Time spent moving cattle with her Dad and two younger siblings outside of her hometown in Gunnison, Colorado, facilitated a deep connection to the land and horses that she constantly depicted in her artwork growing up.

Her deep admiration for horses as co-workers and partners has been prevalent in her artwork since her childhood.

Wherever she ends up, she always finds horses to ride in new country and memories she can put to canvas or paper.

Howard

“They are the two things I just can’t seem to shake,” Jessica says. “I will always paint and I will always be a cowgirl. I feel it is my responsibility to combine the two in a way that respects, memorializes and inspires everything that the Western culture means to me, my family and this community of hard-working people.”

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Don’t miss our Montana Western Colt Challenge & Sale, in the Spring of 2022 in Dillon, Montana.

Honoring a Legend: Betty Kunesh THE TRUE INSPIRATION BEHIND ART OF THE COWGIRL. Story and Photos by AOC Production Staff

etty Kunesh, born Alma Elizabeth Williams of Rapelje, Montana, is not only the B matriarch of her family, but the true inspiration behind Art of the Cowgirl. As the grandmother of Tammy Pate, founder of Art of the Cowgirl, Betty instilled a love of horses, art and the western way of life in Tammy from a young age.

The daughter of Inez and Robert Owen Williams, Betty was the second born of eight children. As homesteaders of Rapelje, her father, a Welsh immigrant who came to the United States at twelve-years-old, mother and all of the children lived simply in an area that is referred to as the Big Coulee, a vast ranch and farmland tucked into the south-central region of Montana. Driving south of the town of Ryegate, Montana, will find you on a dirt road down the rimrocks into the Big Coulee, where a patchwork of dirt roads, wheat fields and cattle pastures will still lead you to the original Williams Ranch today.

Betty grew up horseback. She helped her father break horses to ride and drive from a young age, along with learning the duties of keeping the house and caring for her family. Her aptitude as a horsewoman was matched by her appreciation of the world around her and her ability to convey that in art. She became a talented artist, her main subjects being the animals and natural world of her beloved prairie.

On July 3rd, 1941 Betty married Eddy Kunesh during the Livingston Rodeo. Eddy was also a talented horseman from the Big Coulee. They built their home just south of Ryegate, Montana, the Crazy Mountains to the West, Snowy Mountains to the North and Betty’s beloved Big Coulee a few miles to the West. Betty and Eddy raised two children, Shirley and Bobby, ranched and raised, trained and sold horses.

Their shared greatest joy was in their grandchildren, and they both made sure they always had the very best horses!

Tammy, born Tammy Clark, shared a very special bond that continues to this day. Of all of her grandchildren, Tammy showed the most interest in painting and drawing along with being the best cowgirl she could be. Betty taught Tammy how to see the beauty of every day things. Betty was never rich in monetary ways, but her life has been enriched by the every day beauty around her. That is something she passed onto Tammy, and taught her to capture in not only art, but in how she faces every day.

Betty’s gift as a mentor was not limited to her family. Community is something she holds dear even to this day. In her 99 years she has influenced the lives of so many, from teaching all of her girls to cook, sew, paint and appreciate good horses, to doing the same for neighbors and friends, to spending countless days cooking for the community and being a confidant to the ones she holds close to her heart.

Her life has been her own Fellowship and was the inspiration behind the Art of the Cowgirl Fellowship Program.

In honor of Grandma Betty we have created the Betty Kunesh Legacy Award.

This award is to be given to a woman who have been nominated by someone they have influenced. Our hope is to honor those special women who are not always in the lime light: the women who work hard their whole lives leading by example, embracing fellowship and community. Details on nominations will be announced at the 2021 Art of the Cowgirl June Event.

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For the Love

of Horses FOR THE FIRST EVER WORLD’S GREATEST HORSEWOMAN, HORSES ARE A JOB, HOBBY, INCOME AND GREAT SOURCE OF ENJOYMENT.

Story by Savanna Simmons

Love Thomas has never had a job that hasn’t been horseback.

K elseyIn talking to her, Kelsey humbly mentions her plans to keep improving in horsemanship, never afraid to pick up a tidbit or take a lesson wherever she can and quick to compliment other horsewomen.

“I don’t think you get to a spot where you can’t learn anymore,” she said.

“You either grow or you regress.”

Kelsey speaks about herself as if she doesn’t have a roster of championships, namely, the first woman to win a world title in Ranch Horse Association of America in 2011, and four more world championships since, winner of the Cowboy Class Invitational at the 2019 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity, World Champion Ranch Cowgirls Rodeo Association, and a few championships with Women’s Ranch Rodeo Associations. Regarding herself in this manner pushes her to constantly work toward bettering herself and her horses. It would be unlikely for anyone to accuse Thomas of being overconfident in a way that hinders her talent and drive.

“You can’t ever know too much; you can always definitely grow,” Kelsey said.

“There’s always something to get up everyday and work toward.”

Being well mounted has always been an angle for Thomas in competitions.

She claims to not be the best hand, though the day she was interviewed, she won a team roping she hadn’t even planned on entering until her husband Buddy mentioned it.

“I may not be the handiest person or the best with the rope, but I always tried to ride a good horse, and that’s helped me get to where I’m at,” Kelsey said.

The Thomases lease Kelsey’s stepdad and mother’s horse facilities in Rising Star, Texas, where they keep their 25 or so head of horses and a few outside horses. They have five two-year-olds, a couple three- and four-year-olds, and a few aged horses.

“We like to buy horses. We’re not that great at selling them,” Kelsey said laughing. “We buy them in hopes of selling them one day, but we’re not that good at selling them.”

Kelsey has been focusing on making breakaway horses of late, and they also plan to raise a few colts out of their stud purchased in 2019. At the time they purchased Gringo Love, they had one mare to breed him to. Buddy decided that if they had one, they might as well have two.

“So he called a friend of ours, Parke Greeson, and asked him if he had any quick-footed, cowy, little mares,” Kelsey said.Kit Kat Jerrie, fondly known as

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Elvira, was purchased from Greeson and bred to Gringo in the summer of 2019. Shortly thereafter, Kelsey and Elvira won the aforementioned Cowboy Class at the Snaffle Bit Futurity in October of the same year. After that, Kelsey worked Elvira up into a bridle to go on and win World’s Greatest Horsewoman 2020 at Art of the Cowgirl. The duo also competed in World’s Greatest Horseman in February, and the mare had her foal, Fancy, a wellbuilt, aptly named palomino, in May. “The baby got to come along for the ride, and it was a pretty cool ride,” Kelsey said. “It just made it extra special that she got to do that whole trip with us.”

When Fancy is weaned, Kelsey will again get Elvira legged up for another go at World’s Greatest Horsewoman amongst working on her other riding projects.

“I like to do a bit of it all. I get kind of bored doing one thing all the time, whether that’s just roping, or I’ll run barrels a little, or, like, right now, I’ve been focusing on breakaway roping,” she said.

“Whatever horses I have at the time, whatever they want to do or excel at, I like to go in that direction.”

given the opportunity to ride a multitude of horses, strengthening her abilities to adapt to different talent levels within horses and a variety of attitudes and personalities.

“I think it was just born into me,” Kelsey said. “I literally got to ride everything. I’ve even got to ride some bucking horses that didn’t make it.

After college, she worked for Russ and Janet Westfall, who train cutting horses, allowing her an inside view into what it takes to compete at a high level of horsemanship. imagine my life

“It’s hard to without horses, because they’ve been such a huge part of it.

In five, 10 years, I’d like to be doing pretty much the same things, but I hope I can look back every year, and just see how much my horsemanship has grown. ”

Kelsey appreciates that horses start fresh each day, failing to hold grudges.

“They’re just living their life and trying to do the best that they know how to do, and there’s just something really pure about that,” she said.

Horses have taught her patience and acceptance, and have even guided the path of her life. She tried to picture her life without horses, and it was rather hazy, though her view of five to ten years from now is quite clear.

Kelsey Love Thomas

Kelsey has the uncanny ability and desire to seek what interests the horse instead shaping the horse into what she wants it to be. This also exhibits her own diverse abilities and talents.

“It’s always fun to win, so if you can find what the horse likes to do to excel and go that direction, that’s a win-win for everybody,” she said.

Kelsey grew up in California with ranching influences on her mom’s side. Her dad is a farrier, horse trainer, and former bronc rider from a farming family. Throughout her youth, Kelsey was

“It’s hard to imagine my life without horses, because they’ve been such a huge part of it,” Kelsey said. “In five, 10 years, I’d like to be doing pretty much the same things, but I hope I can look back every year, every five years, every 10 years, and just see how much my horsemanship has grown.”

Kelsey spends most of her time in the arena shaping her variety of horses but occasionally cowboys with Buddy at Cook Canyon Ranch about 40 miles from their home.

“My main focus is the horses, but when I go ranching with him, he always takes me snacks and makes sure I have water,” Kelsey said. “He drops me off in the easy spot and keeps me between a good cowboy and him.”

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Fannie Sperry Steele inspired

vintage camper Fannie Sperry Steele’s namesake, a vintage fifth-wheel camper, is a collaboration of artists, with Art of the Cowgirl Founder Tammy Pate at the helm. Tammy’s love for vintage campers lends itself perfectly to this Art of the Cowgirl Fellowship fundraiser.

Cowgirl Fannie Sperry Steele MONTANA’S LADY BUCKING HORSE CHAMPION Story & Photos by Montana Historical Society

annie Sperry was born in the Prickly Pear Valley in 1887. Her F mother taught her to ride almost before she could walk. Soon, she was rounding up wild horses and participating in neighborly competitions with other local ranch kids.

She made her first professional ride as a relay racer at the 1904 Montana State Fair in Lewis and Clark County.

Inspired by Buffalo Bill’s “Pony Express Race,” the relay featured women riders who changed horses and saddles at top speed. Fannie and the popular Montana Girls rode relays throughout Montana and the Midwest in 1905.

The petite white and turquoise retro trailer features a vivid, hand-painted mural inspired by Fannie, Montana’s lady bucking horse champion, on the outside and an eclectic, bespoke, cowgirl-themed interior with pieces donated by cowgirl artists from around the country. She is ready to hook up and head out to the gorgeous mountains of Montana.

“Fannie Sperry Steele was from Helena, Montana, and she was an icon,” Tammy said. “Her determination, grit, tenacity, she’s what Art of the Cowgirl is all about.”

Montana is filled with both cowgirls and campers, and the marriage of the two makes for a divine tiny travel trailer.

The winner of Fannie will be drawn Sunday, June 27, 2021 at the Bozeman, Montana summer event. Raffle tickets are $20 each or 8 tickets for $100. The winner need not be present to win, though pickup or shipping arrangements will need to be made.

In 1907, Sperry began participating in women’s bucking horse competitions. At the Calgary Stampede in 1912, her ride on the bronc Red Wing earned her the title “Lady Bucking Horse Champion of the World.” She won the title again in 1913.

Unlike most other bronc-busting women of the time, Fannie Sperry rode “slick.” Female contestants usually rode hobbled, the stirrups tied together beneath the horse’s belly for greater stability in the saddle. Hobbling was dangerous in the event of a tumble because the rider could not kick free, yet slick riding demanded extra balance and strength.

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Sperry married bronc rider and rodeo clown Bill Steele in 1913, and she rode exhibition broncs until she was in her fifties. She was the first woman in Montana to receive a packer’s license, and with her string of pintos, she guided hunters on trips into the mountains.

Widowed in 1940, she continued to run the family’s Helmville ranch until she was seventy-eight.

The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s Rodeo Hall of Fame honored Fannie Sperry Steele in 1975. Among the 266 members, thirty-three are women and only twelve rode broncs. A quintessential Montana woman, Steele takes her place among the best of the best.

“She was from Helena, Montana, and was an icon.

Her determination, grit, tenacity, she’s what Art of the Cowgirl is all about.”

Tammy Pate

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A Tribute to: Julee Brady KEEP KICK’N UP KINDNESS AND MAY THE HORSE BE WITH YOU! Story & Photos by The Brady Family

a world that is increasingly in need of radiance and goodness, Inmany people have come to know Julee Ann Pugmire Brady, as

a vibrant, bright light. One of her main goals in life was to spread kindness and optimism everywhere she went. In addition, the powerful pillars of faith, family, and freedom, sum up her deeply held convictions and her motivation for living such a remarkable, bright and meaningful life.

Julee was born with an enthusiasm and a zest for life on February 19, 1957. Despite moving several times in her youth, she always managed to find enduring friendships with both two legged and four legged friends. She was enamored with horses at a young age, and at 13, bought her first horse. As she grew, so did her love for horses and fashion, and she found meaningful ways to merge them.

While attending Dixie College in Utah, she served in student government and on the Fashion board. She also met the Irish,

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football-playing cowboy, Patrick Thomas Brady Jr. and on February 4, 1977, they were married. Their romance only grew stronger with time, and will continue into eternity.

Julee became an exceptional “domestic engineer” and loved spending time raising her 5 children on the Diamond b Ranch.

Family activities included camping and fishing with horses, attending piano recitals, track meets, cheerleading competitions, 4-H shows, rodeos, church activities and football games. She also enjoyed modeling for Bobby Ball Talent and Signature agencies.

She was influential in many arenas in her life and won a series of titles and community honors, such as Mrs. Arizona (1994), the VMLC Veterans Appreciation Award, Community Heroes Award, and many others.

Julee was inspired by her mother-in-law, Odile Frost Brady, who was the 1950 Reno Rodeo Queen. Julee coached many

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young women who went on to earn various rodeo queen titles. She was an especially bright light and reminded them the title is not what will bring you joy, but what you do with the title surely can.

She was a strong advocate for young women to set goals and achieve their dreams. All 4 of her daughters, Shanda, Marjon, Kelsee and Taryn, loved representing the Gilbert Days Rodeo as Gilbert Days Rodeo Royalty. Taryn Brady Hale was also Miss Rodeo Arizona 2009 and Wrangler’s Ultimate Cowgirl. Marjon Brady Brown was Miss Rodeo USA 2000.

Horses continued to shape how Julee gave back to her community. She loved bringing the welcome sound of horse hooves to various communities and charities. One area that had particular joy and interest in her life was her role with the Gilbert Days Rodeo, and serving on the Gilbert Promotional Corporation for decades. She also pioneered the Kick’N Up Kindness platform and recruited Good Deed Detectives throughout the nation. Its purpose is to encourage spreading kindness in your sphere of influence, through your everyday actions.

She was also the founder of the Cowgirls Historical Foundation. CHF celebrates the talents and camaraderie of the western past, and brings an increased knowledge of our western heritage to the present. This non-profit equestrian and community group has been honored to participate in some of the most notable equestrian events in the country.

CHF has been an integral part of Art of the Cowgirl from the beginning, volunteering their time to help make the event possible.

Of greater importance than these accomplishments is what Julee created with her family and faith. She was a devoted member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and loved serving in many capacities. Her testimony was so deeply rooted in our Savior Jesus Christ. Her husband and 5 children will echo that Julee’s greatest goal was to love and uplift others. She did this because she was motivated by our Savior’s love for His children.

She wanted to reflect His light in her countenance.

On August 22, 2020, Julee’s courageous battle against cancer ended. She was surrounded by her family. Her last words made such an impression as she calmly said, “I love you. Thank you.” Even with her passing breath, her words were filled with light and kindness.

Julee would want to warmly encourage all of us to look for meaningful ways to celebrate life by bringing light into our own circle of influence. In doing so, we not only brighten the lives of others, but we bring a radiance into our own lives, creating a warmth for all. Reflecting on Julee’s example, keep Kick’N Up Kindness and may the horse be with you!

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Patty says she regained her confidence on a cow solely due to riding a trusted mount. Photo by Jennifer Denison

Solano Cat & the Ralls THIS 16-YEAR-OLD STALLION HAS CARRIED TWO MEMBERS OF THE RALLS FAMILY TO A CHAMPIONSHIP, MOST RECENTLY THE WORLD’S GREATEST HORSEWOMAN TITLE. Story by Kate Bradley Byars, from the April 2021 issue of Western Horseman

today’s horse show industry, it is rare that a trainer Inretains successful horses in their program for nearly all of

the horses’ lives, much less a decorated stallion.

look right. But when I put him in the pen the first day to saddle him, I just knew that he was very intelligent and very much an athlete.”

Yet, Ron Ralls has worked with Solano Cat since the horse was sent to him to be started as a 2-year-old. Though there was a brief period when the stallion was shown by two other trainers, the now 16-year-old horse is back in the Ralls’ barn, and this time teamed up with Ron’s wife, Patty. The two made quite a splash at the Art of the Cowgirl’s World’s Greatest Horsewoman competition in Queen Creek, Arizona, in January, when they rode away with the win.

Ron trained the horse in the traditional reined cow horse methods and aimed him for the National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity in 2008. As a 3-year-old, the High Brow Cat son out of Smartest Solano, by Smart Little Lena, won the Southwest Reined Cow Horse Association pre-futurity event in August, and then tied tied for 13th in the intermediate open and tied for 18th in the open division of NRCHA’s premier event.

It isn’t the accolades or the more than $120,000 in earnings that endear “Gato” to the Ralls family, it’s the stallion’s big heart.

It was a big win for the Ralls family and the stallion, who had colicked as a 2-year-old.

“We have always loved that horse,” Ron says. “Horses like that almost become a family member, become part of you, those good ones.”

Solano Cat was first introduced to Ron Ralls via an agent for then-owner Elizabeth Herna Rodriguez. Without seeing the yearling, Ron accepted him into his training program.

“I had never ridden a High Brow Cat and always wanted one, so I didn’t want to pass that opportunity up to try him,” says Ron. “When I saw the horse, I was kinda disappointed because he was fat and cresty-necked, real stud-y and didn’t

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“As a 2-year-old, he had colic surgery, and I am the one that doctored him back to health,” recalls Patty. “It was the connection then and now that is unbelievable. I don’t know if I’ll ever have that kind of connection [with another horse] again.”

While her husband trained and showed the horse, Patty’s hands were on Gato throughout his career, grooming, doctoring and even warming up the horse. She enjoyed his progress from the snaffle bit to the hackamore as much as Ron. When the owner wanted to sell the horse in his 4-year-old year, the Ralls went to clients Shannon and Hershel Reid to see if they were interested in buying him.

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“I didn’t want to lose him, so I presented this opportunity to the Reids, and they were happy to buy him,” says Ron. “I showed him in the hackamore and then in the [NRCHA] World’s Greatest Horseman when he was a 6-year-old.”

With top placings at multiple NRCHA events and a 2010 American Quarter Horse Association reserve world championship in junior working cow horse, Solano Cat was a well-known face in the arena.

In 2011, though, the Reids sent the horse to Stefano Calcagnini, a reining horse trainer, to try a new spin with his career. Again, the athleticism Ron saw the first time he saddled the horse shined through Calcagnini.

Not only did Calcagnini win more than $3,000 in National Reining Horse Association earnings on him in 2011, champion trainer Todd Bergen took Gato to the northwest region and successfully showed to more than $4,300 in cow horse earnings in 2013. In 2014, owner Shannon Reid showed the stallion again in the reining arena. Switching from working cow horse to reining isn’t always easy, but the horse made it work.

“I think that all the work put in on him with a solid foundation made him very, very broke to do whatever you wanted with him,” Ron says. “If you show something to him, he is going to try to do it. Really broke horses, if they end up in the right hands, adapt, go on and still are great. He’s always had a good home.”

It was six years before Solano Cat rejoined the Ralls’ barn, but in late 2017, the stallion came “home.”

“When we lost him the first time, it was life changing for Ron not to have him in the barn, in the show string,” says Patty.

In 2018, the duo earned more than $5,800, winning the NRCHA Derby intermediate open bridle spectacular in Paso Robles, California, and placing second in the open division. For Patty, having a trusted partner back in the bar was a chance to reconnect with her own horsemanship.

“I had been in a couple of pretty big horse accidents and my confidence was pretty low,” Patty says. “I watched the Art of the Cowgirl [in 2019] and thought, ‘Wow, what a great event.’ It was a nice playing field to ride with women, and it was a great event to strive for [to compete].

“I didn’t have a horse for it and Ron said he was going to call Shannon to see if I could show Solano Cat. To do that, I would have to give up my non-pro card. First of all, I am not a horse trainer. I have always been a non-pro. But I didn’t own that horse, and I wanted to go about it truthfully.”

Mounted on a horse that she’d known for more than a decade, Patty took a leap of faith and got back in the show pen.

At the 2021 World’s Greatest Horsewoman event in Queen Creek, Arizona, Patty and Solano Cat did not fly under the radar. Sporting a hot pink hat, the contestant was all smiles, in and out of the show pen. It had taken regaining confidence riding a cow horse, recalling her roping know-how from when she was younger and tackling riding a high-powered stallion to get to the event, but Patty wasn’t deterred from making the most of her time there.

WORLD’S GREATEST WRAP-UP The 2021 Art of the Cowgirl event looked a lot more like a horse show than the previous two years due to the schedule changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizers Tammy Pate and Mesa Pate opted to schedule the artisan workshops and trade show later in 2021, but the World’s Greatest Horsewoman competition, All Women’s Ranch Rodeo and All Girl’s Team Roping events still drew quite a crowd to Horseshoe Park Equestrian Centre in Queen Creek, Arizona, January 13- 17.

The 96 entries vying for the World’s Greatest Horsewoman title and a chance to compete at the National Reined Cow Horse Association’s World’s Greatest Horseman event saw working cowgirls and seasoned show-ring riders give their all in four events: herd work, rein work, steer stopping and fence work. Ten riders and their equine partners made the finals, held Saturday, January 16. Patty Ralls and Solano Cat topped reserve champion Whitney Hall aboard roan stallion J Noble Daggett by nine points to take the win.

For more information on the Art of the Cowgirl’s plans for 2021 and next year’s World’s Greatest Horsewoman event, visit artofthecowgirl.com.

Before riding into the arena for the preliminary fence work in Arizona, Patty showed the horse just once, at an NRCHA-affiliate event in Lubbock, Texas.

“I had never spun or slid or run him over the years—I may have slipped off once to turn him around when Ron wasn’t looking—but I’d mainly been the caregiver for him,” Patty says. “At Lubbock, when

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I rode in the pen, I felt him swell up with me. I talked to him just like I do every day in the stall, and I said, ‘Hey, take care of me.’ I felt him take a big, deep breath and let it out. He did take care of me! That connection with him has been there even though I wasn’t always the person riding or training on him. It was amazing.”

Through three days of herd work, rein work, steer stopping and fence work preliminary rounds, Patty and Gato held their own against 96 hard-riding women. The pair earned the high score win in the steer stopping and a spot in the 10-rider finals.

With her NRCHA two-time World’s Greatest Horseman husband at her side as a coach, Patty rode into the arena for the finals “clean slate” reining and fence runs on a mission to hit her goal.

“It felt like she had the horse. It makes me way more nervous watching her than for me to go do it,” says Ron. “Anything can happen and you not win, she had as much chance to win it as anybody. For that fence run, she did exactly what I asked her to do. It was very nerve wrecking for me, though. I thanked God she got through it.”

The spectators watching Patty didn’t see nerves, but a rider with a big, beaming smile as she and her horse circled up the cow in the middle of the pen. When the whistle blew, Patty raised her fist in celebration.

“It’s like [the horse] tells me to get back because he has got this,” Patty says. “I laugh and say he thinks that if I just get out of his way, he will show me how to do it and take care of me. When he circled that cow up, I knew in my heart that he had it. I just needed to sit in the middle so we stayed on all four feet. I felt the most emotion I’ve felt in years.”

Solano Cat, a 2005 stallion owned by Shannon and Hershel Reid, is like a member of Ron and Patty Ralls’ family. Kate Bradley Byars

“I hope we are blessed to be in this horse’s life until the very end. We are blessed to have had him the time we have had.”

Patty Ralls

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The pair’s cumulative 878 score had them on top. For Gato, it was another day at the office but for Ron and Patty, it was a highlight moment.

With the win, Patty earned an entry to the 2021 NRCHA World’s Greatest Horseman competition in Fort Worth, Texas, with the finals held February 20. At press time, she and Gato were in the midst of preparing for the event. After it is over, though, don’t expect Gato to be turned out to pasture.

“I hope we are blessed to be in this horse’s life until the very end. We are blessed to have had him the time we have had,” says Patty.

Ron continues, “I would like to keep this horse really fit and pick and choose certain shows to go to for his happiness here at the end of his career. He’s sound and healthy, and we hope the Reids let us keep going. This horse loves what he does.”

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Women of the West

Barbra Schulte FROM THE CUTTING HORSE PEN TO HOSTING CLINICS, THIS TEXAS HORSEWOMAN LOVES HELPING HORSES AND THEIR RIDERS CONNECT ON A DEEPER LEVEL. Story by Kate Bradley Byars, from the January 2021 issue of Western Horseman

Schulte grew up horseback with her family in B arbra southern Illinois. Her father, Cletus Hulling, a National

Cutting Horse Association Members Hall of Fame inductee, expected excellence of his five children, and Schulte has more than lived up to that expectation.

She took a brief hiatus from the horse industry to use her master’s degree in speech pathology and audiology to teach at the Arizona State School for the Deaf and at the University of Arizona, Tucson. However, meeting her husband, Tom Schulte, brought her back to the arena.

As a professional cutting horse trainer Schulte has won more than $984,000, and she achieved many firsts for a woman in the show arena— winning the NCHA Derby in 1988, the 1992 Augusta Futurity and the 1992 NCHA Super Stakes Classic. In 2000, the couple’s 16-year-old son, Zane, succumbed to cancer.

In 2001, they established the Zane Schulte Award in his memory. The honor is given annually to a cutting horse trainer who exemplifies integrity, service and respect to peers.

Today, Schulte teaches riders of all levels and across disciplines to achieve a deeper connection to their horses through her personal performance coaching, a program she pioneered in 1994. Based in Brenham, Texas, she helps riders through videos and clinics conducted in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia.

Schulte has influenced many people, evidenced by her induction into the NCHA Members and the National Cowgirl halls of fame and receiving the American Horse Publications’ Equine Industry Vision Award. This month she will receive the third annual Western Horseman Woman of the West Award at the Art of the Cowgirl event in Queen Creek, Arizona.

Dad loved to come to Texas and buy horses from the Four Sixes and the King Ranch. He would bring them home [to Illinois] in tractortrailers and unload them. People would be waiting to have them sorted and to buy.

The biggest impact of growing up the way I did has been the ethic of hard work. It was not a choice in our family if we worked hard or not. It was all for one and one for all; we were the Hullings, and this was the family business. I never knew anything different.

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We had 400 horses on our family ranch. There is no doubt it prepared me as a trainer and for what I am doing now. Horses have always been a way of life.

Growing up, there were five kids and we all had a string of horses—five or six during school and a string of 12 in the summer going to shows— and I think that I got a little bit burned out. I wanted to go and see what the rest of life was like. I never really forgot horses or loved them less.

Cutting was close to my heart and [it was] what my dad loved. When I got back to riding and showing, I always knew it would be cutting horses.

I was one of the first people that started watching cattle with a notepad and paper. I remember by writing. I was teased incessantly about writing the cattle down [before cutting them], because no one was doing it back then. One time at Will Rogers [Memorial Coliseum], I was sitting above the herd, and all of a sudden my paper went over the edge.

It hit in the middle of the cattle and I was afraid the cattle would go crazy and spread. They didn’t, but this cow ate it like a goat! I had never been so grateful.

I just love to see people be encouraged, bloom and feel joy.

I think God gave me a natural inclination to want to teach.

That has grown through time in both teaching technically about cutting and when I went on a sports psychology journey.

I was going for the gold in major cutting events [as a horse trainer]. Now, I think of myself as a seeker of wisdom about a horse. It isn’t so much what I can teach a horse but what a horse can teach me about myself, and what I never knew about a horse.

I think all people in the horse world are hungry for information and to feel like they belong. What I see is education being needed, more and more.

I absolutely consider myself a cowgirl. It’s because of the cowgirl spirit. Women who are cowgirls and really love the Western way of life, being with the animals, the work involved and the nevergive-up attitude—I admire it so much.

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Ira Wines on the Spanish Ranch – Tuscarora, Nevada. Photo by John Langmore

COWBOYS a documentary portrait IT’S NOT WHAT WE DO, IT’S WHO WE ARE. Directed by Bud Force &John Langmore www.thecowboymovie.com authentic, intimate depiction of the contemporary A ncowboy, COWBOYS: A DOCUMENTARY PORTRAIT

straps audiences in the saddle alongside working men and women on some of today’s largest and most remote cattle ranches in the American West.

Told genuinely and reverently through first-hand accounts from cowboys in the deepest, most isolated parts of America, the timeless documentary illustrates not only the rewards of a cowboy’s lifestyle but also the unvarnished hardships of a celebrated but misunderstood way of life.

Utilizing their extensive collective backgrounds, co-directors John Langmore (published ranch photographer and former working cowboy) and Bud Force (rodeo cowboy turned award-winning director/DP) provide an aesthetically mesmerizing, sure-handed look at how Western traditions have found a way to coexist with society’s modern achievements.

The directors’ purpose in creating Cowboys: A Documentary Portrait is not to glorify a profession receding into a mythologized past but to instead immerse audiences in the unvarnished reality of the contemporary American West. It reveals the fascinating lives of men and women enduring a harsh reality on cattle ranches spanning millions of acres and employing full crews of horseback cowboys.

The film’s directors, Bud Force and John Langmore, both have histories directly tied to the working cowboy way of life. Force is a former bull rider who currently splits his time filmmaking and working on ranches. Langmore is a long-time former working cowboy whose recent book, Open Range, documents the life of the contemporary American cowboy.

The film’s Creative Producer, Felicitas Funke, is a German born filmmaker and equestrian with an extensive background documenting the American West in both literature and film.

*The Cowboys Documentary will be featured at noon Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at the 1922 Films stage in the Fellowship Hall. Live Q &A with Feli Funke, Creative Producer*

Cowboys’ editor, Lucas J. Harger, is an Emmy award winning master storyteller.

The documentary film Cowboys brings these men and women to an audience far removed from one of the last professions lived almost entirely outdoors on the back of a horse. It is a culture hidden from a world fascinated by - but unaware of - its true modern existence.

Donny and Jesse Estrada on the Bell Ranch – Tucumcari, New Mexico Photo by John Langmore

Felicitas Funke, Creative Producer, is the personification of a “renaissance woman” — filmmaker, philanthropist, entrepreneur, author, publisher, and pilates instructor. But above it all she is an equestrian whose true passion is in the saddle, riding horseback in the mountains of Idaho and Montana.

Born in Northern Germany and educated in the United States, England and Canada, Feli (as she is referred to by her friends) graduated summa cum laude from the University of Hamburg with a master’s degree in American literature and journalism.

Feli’s work has been published in the Wall Street Journal, Elle Magazine, Marie Claire, Country, in addition to numerous European publications including Hamburger Abendblatt, St. Georg, Cinema (an exclusive feature on horse trainer Buck Brannaman) and Stern Magazine.

Red Dugan on the S Ranch – Pryor, Montana. Photo by John Langmore

Her passion lies in writing and reporting about the American West, which she has done for the past four decades — falling in love with the country and the people during a horseback pack trip in Northern Nevada during her early twenties. She was a feature writer for Phillip Morris and covered the Calgary Stampede, Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo, and other American-West based stories for several years.

In 2000, she wrote and published an award-winning art book, “Gathering Remnants - A Tribute to the Working Cowboy,” with her business partner, Kendall Nelson. “Gathering Remnants” features a foreword by Clint Eastwood and an essay by Gretel Ehrlich, author of “The Solace of Open Spaces” and screenwriter for “A River Runs Through It.” Felicitas was also the creative advisor for the documentary film that followed the book.

Bell Ranch – Tucumcari, New Mexico. Photo by John Langmore

Today, Feli is a partner at 1922 Films and the Creative Producer of “Cowboys: A Documentary Portrait.” She has called Idaho home for over 23 years, where she serves on the board of the Sun Valley Culinary Institute and currently raises grass fed Highland beef for local farm to table production.

She is a trustee of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the associate publisher of Big Life Magazine, and a third-generation member of the German Funke Media Group.

YP Ranch/From left to right: Kris Garzone, Cotton McKay. Photo by Bud Force

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Some of her fondest memories are raising her son, Fynn, on a farm in Northern Germany and on a ranch in Idaho. Today, all of her down time is spent outside, horseback in the Idaho high country, and participating in Montana elk hunts. She loves to hike, mountain bike, and cross-country ski.

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Ad Index 7Diamond 3Designs................................................................ 76

A All American Hay, LLC.......................................................... 47 Art of the Cowgirl Events................................... Back Cover

B

Bar Circle L................................................................................. 76 Bar P Quarter Horses............................................................ 21 Bar S Saddlery........................................................................... 76 BetterHorses.com .................................................................. 43 Big Sky Processing & Meats............................................... 43 Bob’s Custom Saddles........................................................... 69 Boot Barn................................................................................... 39 Bronc Reins and Champagne Life Coaching................. 76 BW Braiding............................................................................... 76

C

C. Rivers...................................................................................... 75 Chet Nicholas Stirrups........................................................... 76 Cielo Cinches............................................................................. 76 Clark Butte Ranch..................................................................... 5 Claudia Loughlin Custom Leather.................................... 76 The Colorful Cowgirl............................................................. 77 Cowboys & Indians................................. Inside Back Cover Cowgirl Magazine...................................................................... 9 Cowgirl Meat Co...................................................................... 33 Cowtrac....................................................................................... 25 Cranor Charolais........................................................................ 8

D

Dude Ranchers Association................................................ 61 Dylan’s Performance Horses.............................................. 77

E

G

Pendleton Whisky.................................................................. 25

H

Priefert........................................................................................ 29

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Raised in the West.................................................................. 33

Falls Ranch Performance Horses.................................... 43

Pulse Equine............................................................................. 78

Heart R Trading Co., LLC...................................................... 77 Hochstrat Braiding................................................................. 33

IM Silver...................................................................................... 77

R

Red Eye Rodeo......................................................................... 75 Resistol....................................................................................... 23 Rocken Zen Rodeo Fotographic Artistry ..................... 78

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Rockin’ King Customs........................................................... 25

Jessie Jo Johnson..................................................................... 77 Julie Baugher............................................................................ 77

K

Kathryn Leitner Western Art............................................. 61

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Rocking S Saddle Shop............................................................ 4 Ron Ralls Performance Horses......................................... 31

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Shorty’s Caboy Hattery........................................................ 79 Sierra Nevada Leather.......................................................... 75

Lazy H Lazy Y Custom Leather......................................... 78

M

The Mad Cow Company........................................................ 78 Magpie West Leather Co...................................................... 78 Marc Brogger Custom Saddles.......................................... 79 Marian......................................................................................... 47 McFarland Productions........................................................ 61 Merck Animal Health............................ Inside Front Cover Mincer Silversmiths............................................................... 63 MT Ranch & Home................................................................. 63 MT Wild Rags............................................................................ 75

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Stetson........................................................................................ 15 Suzette Howard....................................................................... 78

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The University of Montana Western................................ 55

V

Visible Faith Jewelry Co....................................................... 79

W

Wes Marquis Custom Braiding.......................................... 78 Western Lifestyle Insurance Agency.............................. 22

National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame............... 43

E4 Ropes..................................................................................... 77 Equine Empowerment.......................................................... 31

F

P

Grant Company........................................................................ 77

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Out of the Blue Emporium.................................................. 78 Outlaw Spirit ........................................................................... 31 Outwest Coffee....................................................................... 47

Wingstrand’s ............................................................................ 33 Wrangler........................................................................................ 3

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Yeti................................................................................................ 24 Youth Dummy Roping............................................................ 51

THANK YOU. Art of the Cowgirl is made possible by the support and hard work of many organizations and individuals. We would like to express our utmost gratitude to everyone who has contributed, helped, and believed in our mission.

Thank you to our generous sponsors- without your support we would not be able to have an event.

Thank you to our Fellowship donors who have come alongside us to contribute financially to make our program possible and give our Recipients the opportunity to learn and grow.

Thank you to our Masters, Recipients, Clinicians, Contestants, Horse Sale

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Consignors, Workshop Teachers, and Presenters. You all truly embody the essence and spirit of what Art of the Cowgirl is all about.

Thank you to our vendors who invest time and skill into their products.

We are proud to showcase some of the finest individuals and businesses in our Tradeshow.

Thank you to our core team, event staff, and volunteers who have given generously of their time and talent. This event would not run without you all.

For everyone in attendance, your support makes it all worth it and we are grateful for your integral part in this vision.

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ART OF THE COWGIRL 2022

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