COWGIRL 30 Under 30 Weekend

Hey, friend! Welcome back to another post. Today, I wanted to recap the magical and empowering weekend that was COWGIRL 30 Under 30. I got to spend four days down in Fort Worth meeting and networking with some of the most amazing women currently in the Western industries.

First, I want to thank the sponsors who made this weekend possible with their time and generosity: COWGIRL Magazine, Wrangler, Durango Boots, Corral Boots, Charlie 1 Horse Hats, Cavender’s, Old Gringo Boots, Double D Ranch, and Montana Silversmiths.

Now, let me show you what we did that weekend! 🙂

New Friends

I got to meet 29 other amazing women who are doing big things in the Western industries! These cowgirls come from all walks of life and are passionate about preserving the lifestyle we all love. I loved chatting with and learning from them!

Durango Brunch with Iconic Cowgirls!

At the Durango Icebreaker Brunch, we got to hear from some iconic cowgirls. I can’t believe I was in the same room as these women and even got a chance to chat with them once the brunch was over.

We also got our professional head shots taken during this brunch. Dixie Dixon did an amazing job – check out her work!

Wrangler COWGIRL Gala

The Wrangler COWGIRL Gala was so much fun! I loved dressing up and seeing everyone else’s outfits. I was glad to see old friends and make new ones 🙂

Me and my dad on the red carpet. Photo by Dixie Dixon.

Giving my speech at the Wrangler COWGIRL Gala. Photo by Dixie Dixon.

We were given an opportunity to make a short speech at the gala. Here’s what I had to say:

“I want to start by saying thank you to COWGIRL and the sponsors and everyone sitting in this room – especially my dad for always believing in me. He instilled the tenets of the Cowboy Code in me from a young age – he expected hard work in whatever I did and accepted nothing less.

I have always loved Western history and its stories – the cowgirls, cowboys, homesteaders, and more. I want to thank COWGIRL for recognizing the importance of preserving these stories for generations to come. Now I want to say, long live cowgirls.”

Wrangler COWGIRL Gala pre-event. Photo by Dixie Dixon.

Shopping

Several of the sponsors were very generous and gave us gift cards to spend in their stores in the Fort Worth Stockyards! I stopped in Wrangler, Old Gringo and Double D Ranch. Definitely go check these stores out in-person! You can also shop their brands online 🙂

I plan to make another post styling the pieces I got at each store – so be on the lookout for that one!

Cavender’s Brunch

Cavender’s hosted brunch at their store on Saturday morning and we got to personalize a hat and bandana! The brown hat I chose has become a staple in my closet and I wear it frequently! I love that they burned my initials into it.

Boot Barn x Cowboys & Indians Denim Carpet VIP Party

We got to walk the Denim Carpet at the Boot Barn x Cowboys & Indians VIP Party before the American Rodeo in Arlington, Texas on Saturday. It was so cool being in that room and looking around at all of the people in there! There were influencers, celebrities, and prominent people from the Western industry. Amazing!

The American Rodeo

The American Rodeo was the largest rodeo I have ever been to in-person and it was so cool to watch! I loved that Jenna Paulette sang the National Anthem – I’ve wanted to hear her sing live for a long time.

Then Aaron Watson played a concert in the middle of the rodeo. I LOVE Aaron Watson’s music and was happy to see him live again.

Museums

Y’all know I can’t go anywhere without visiting museums and historic markers while I’m there! The museum visits weren’t related to COWGIRL 30 Under 30, but I wanted to include them in this post because my dad and I visited them while we were in Fort Worth.

I’ve written longer posts on each individual museum pictured below – click on the links if you want to read more!

Concluding Thoughts

COWGIRL 30 Under 30 weekend was one of those weekends that I’ll remember for the rest of my life. I’m truly so grateful and humbled that COWGIRL chose me to be included alongside these 29 other amazing women who I now get to call friends! I can’t wait to support the future classes of women who are inducted into the program.

If you ever have questions about COWGIRL 30 Under 30, please feel free to send me a message. I’d love to tell you more!

I’ll talk to ya soon, friend 🙂

The Active Historian