Celebrating Women in Sports: The Remarkable Ladies Under the 'Cowboy' Hat

Today is dedicated to celebrating and honoring women in sports, especially our cowgirls, who contribute their talents to making the sport of rodeo remarkable.

Whether you know them personally, have cheered them on through the years, or are a cowgirl who competes in rodeo yourself, today is a day to reflect on the time, energy, and resources you devote to making our sport better.

From pee wee level competitors to National Finals Rodeo contestants and every cowgirl in between each level deserves to be celebrated. Whether you team rope, barrel race, or breakaway rope, you keep rodeo sport and provide a promising future.

Whether you are in high school rodeo, college rodeo, jackpot, or head down the road with the pros, your passion keeps a sport many love alive for future generations.

The rodeo industry is home to many influential cowgirls who many look up to—Jackie Crawford, Josie Conner, Kassie Mowry, Hailey Kinsel, Lisa Lockhart, and Kelsie Domer, to name a few.

The celebration doesn’t stop with the competitors—the ones behind the scenes deserve to be celebrated, too. Katy Lucas, Janie Johnson, Judy Wagner, and those coordinating sponsorship and managing rodeo relations deserve to take a moment to celebrate, too.

To the mothers raising the next generation of cowgirls who will compete in rodeo or take on vital roles within the industry, today, you’re included in todaystoday's celebration.

Our sport is home to many incredible women, each with unique stories that have shaped the industry we love so dearly. Without them– our sport wouldn't be as special. As you look around at the many people who make the industry go around, they’ve all faced challenges and overcome obstacles, but their resilience is something to celebrate.

There are small wins throughout every day that should be acknowledged, but how lucky are we to get a whole day to reflect on the many women in the sport of rodeo who have shaped others into who they are today? Trainers, mentors, moms, aunts, and competitors all leave their mark on each cowgirl that we know and love.

Female animal athletes should be praised; without them, our sport would look so different. Many of them come alongside their partners and leave them with a lasting place in their hearts that stays with them for years to come.

Today, we celebrate the girls and women who wear cowboy hats—they deserve a day to be celebrated.