COWGIRL 30 Under 30 2022: Brianna Noble

November 15, 2021 0 comments CG Social Team

Brianna Noble

Professional Title: Horsewoman, Mulatto Meadows
Age: 26
Home: Castro Valley, California

Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area’s East Bay, Brianna Noble is a lifelong horse enthusiast whose love of horses began with summers at the barn with her big sister. At the age of 15 she was given her first horse, an abused off the track thoroughbred she renamed Midnight Affair.

Brianna is the founder and owner of Mulatto Meadows and the founder of the nonprofit Humble, equestrian businesses dedicated to expanding the accessibility of riding and horsemanship to communities historically excluded from the equestrian world. She is especially passionate about introducing horsemanship and riding to youth of color and economically disenfranchised populations.

Through the Humble program, Brianna has partnered with San Francisco nonprofits such as the East Bay Agency for Children, where she has worked with children and families to introduce them to horses and their power to heal and connect.

As a trainer, Bri is committed to rehabilitating abused horses and finding them loving homes. Having ridden and trained in both English and Western disciplines including jumping, eventing, ranch versatility, and Trail Trials, she believes that no matter the focus, true horsemanship is a language that transcends all disciplines.

Brianna is mother to four-year-old budding equestrian, Genesis Joan and engaged to fellow horseman Adolfo Gutierrez.

Vision for the future of women in the Western industry: “It is my hope that women continue to be the agent of change within the Western industry to reflect a broader, diverse community. It is through the sharing of our personal journeys and contributions, that women will inspire Western life and culture.”

Follow along with COWGIRL on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more news and updates regarding COWGIRL 30 Under 30!

COWGIRL 30 Under 30, presented by Wrangler, is sponsored by Cavender’s, Charlie 1 Horse Hats, Durango Boots, Montana Silversmiths, and The Cowboy Channel.

COWGIRL 30 Under 30 2022: Allyson Spears

November 15, 2021 0 comments CG Social Team

Allyson Spears

Professional Title: Program Coordinator, Podcast Host, Rancher, Agriculture Advocate, and Entrepreneur, Texas A&M University Department of Poultry Science, Ag Chicks, Junk ‘N Disorderly
Age: 25
Home: Bryan, Texas

Allyson Spears was born and raised in Northern California on her family’s generational farming and ranching operation. She found her way to the lone star state to attend Texas A&M University where, in addition to earning her degree, she was also involved in numerous judging teams. After graduating with her bachelor’s in Agribusiness, she decided she wasn’t quite done with the humidity and Southern hospitality, so she decided to stick around.

Now, she works for TAMU in the Poultry Science Department as a Program Coordinator. Outside of her full-time job, she also owns an antique and home decor business with her mom “Junk ‘N Disorderly” and an Agriculture Advocacy brand “Ag Chicks”, where she shares Ag’s story.

Through her podcast “Ag Chicks” she highlights women who are helping to feed the world and help to provide the realities of the industry. She recently started her graduate program in Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications with hopes to learn how to better educate consumers about where their food comes from and how to effectively share agriculture’s story.

The agricultural and Western community is like no other. Hopefully, by sharing its stories, at least one person will learn something or think differently about how they interact with those involved. In her rare moments of free time, she enjoys spending time with her growing Texas herd of cattle and taking in the simple joys of the Western way
of life.

Vision for the future of women in the Western industry: “Since 2012, women-owned farming and ranching operations have grown by 28%. This signifies two things, (1) women are taking credit for their contribution to feeding the world, (2) confidence is growing in women to claim the title of “agriculture producer”. We are not new to this industry, however, the growth of social media has allowed for our voices to become louder and reach further than ever. My vision for the future of women in the Western industry is that we continue to share our unique stories and that young girls find role models within this lifestyle. With mainstream media celebrating Western fashion, I see a unique opportunity for women to not only share their personal style but also a deeper message of tradition and passion for an industry that feeds the world.”

Follow along with COWGIRL on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more news and updates regarding COWGIRL 30 Under 30!

COWGIRL 30 Under 30, presented by Wrangler, is sponsored by Cavender’s, Charlie 1 Horse Hats, Durango Boots, Montana Silversmiths, and The Cowboy Channel.

That Western Life Podcast X COWGIRL Episode 16: Erin DeLong

November 9, 2021 0 comments CG Social Team

“Growing up in a small rural community southeastern Ohio, Erin DeLong graduated with degrees in Marketing and Public Relations, and has been the Marketing Manager for Rocky’s Western Division, Durango Boots, for over five years. Erin is a part of our COWGIRL Magazine 30 Under 30 collaboration. Tuning in from her home state of Ohio, which is also the home base of Rocky Brands – we are excited to chat about marketing and Durango boots.

“With beautiful rolling hills and a lot of outdoor activities that people from even out of the country do in Ohio, it is a great spot for their brand portfolio with Rocky Boots.

“Rocky Brands has Rocky Boots and they acquired Durango Boots and Georgia boots a few years ago, creating three wholesale brands under their umbrella. Most recently, they just acquired Muck Boots as well with their division under their corporate profile.

“Erin actually interned at Rocky before she graduated college during her senior year as it was just 20 minutes down the road from where she grew up. In fact, Erin had reached out asking for marketing with a public relations focus and there was, in fact, a chance! Erin was able to learn about the company in her niche.”

Listen to Erin’s episode here!

COWGIRL 30 Under 30 is sponsored by Wrangler, The Cowboy Channel, Montana Silversmiths, Durango Boots, Charlie 1 Horse Hats, and Cavender’s.

Make sure to follow That Western Life on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter so that you can engage with our guests before they come on the show! Read more on the blog at That Western Life.

Listen to Julia Ayres’ episode, Marketing Manager and Sales Operations Manager for Twisted X, here!

That Western Life Podcast X COWGIRL Episode 15: Julia Ayres

November 3, 2021 0 comments CG Social Team

Growing up in a military family, Julia Ayres moved all over the country and continued to grow her love of the Western lifestyle no matter where she was living. This led her to get a degree in equine sciences and, ultimately, to become an honoree in the 2021 COWGIRL Magazine 30 Under 30 Class.

As the marketing manager and sales operations manager for Twisted X, it was great to have someone believe and invest in her so much. To have someone look at you and say, “You have a bright light and you may not have the knowledge or connections in the industry but we are going to stoke that fire and believe in you.”

Most people in the industry know about Twisted X, with 2020 being the ten year anniversary of the driving moccasin, it’s something that is unique. Additionally, Twisted X is sustainably driven and every single pair of shoes sold equates to a tree planted. Having a sustainability driven brand in the Western industry is super unique.

“We care about the environment and we care about comfort,” says Julia about Twisted X as a brand. “Our CEO is such an incredible man that is driven into that culture of we want to keep it Western but we want to make sure we are reaching out to other people.”

From lifestyle to work to Western, Twisted X is most known for their driving mocc, they also have tennis shoes, boots, and more. Styles are constantly changing and branding is always different as trends continuously change. “We are incredibly proud of and ever since Twisted X became Twisted X after the re-branding, it became a starter for people to recognize us.”

A company that is here to stay, they have comfortable shoes that is ode to everything in the Western lifestyle.

Listen to Julia’s episode here!

COWGIRL 30 Under 30 is sponsored by The Cowboy Channel, Wrangler, Montana Silversmiths, Durango Boots, Charlie 1 Horse Hats, and Cavender’s.

Make sure to follow That Western Life on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter so that you can engage with our guests before they come on the show! Read more on the blog at That Western Life.

Listen to Peyton Bennight’s episode, Rodeo Specialist and Marketing Specialist for YETI, here!

That Western Life Podcast X COWGIRL Episode 14: Peyton Bennight

November 3, 2021 0 comments CG Social Team

Peyton Bennight has been the Rodeo Specialist and Marketing Specialist for YETI for just over three years and she calls her transition to the position a “God thing.” Working with the rodeo and ranch sponsorships, as well as digital assets that they use in the rodeo and ranch community to ensure that they are authentic to the brand.

Keeping a finger on the pulse of the trends in the industry and being a part of the community that they are trying to market too. If you are detached, you are going to fall behind on what you are doing. Yeti has done a great job of connecting with individuals that are authentic in the spaces from the get-go from hunting specialists, fishing specialists, rock climbing specialists and more. Having these experiences in these industries before taking on their role in the space.

“The people. Also just being able to still be able to be involved in rodeo without necessarily driving up and down the road 365 days out of the year with a horse,” says Peyton. While she’s not saying that she doesn’t dream of doing that, but she’s always thought that she would have a simple hometown job and this position has changed her life by connecting her to places that she’d never travel to on her own.

“Attending some of the greatest rodeos in the world and interacting with new people from all over that have the same passion for the same industry, getting to see their style and take on it, is a really rewarding component of the job. The constant wanting to learn more and more for something that you are so in love with and passionate about.”

Listen to Peyton’s episode here!

COWGIRL 30 Under 30 is sponsored by The Cowboy Channel, Wrangler, Montana Silversmiths, Durango Boots, Charlie 1 Horse Hats, and Cavender’s.

Make sure to follow That Western Life on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter so that you can engage with our guests before they come on the show! Read more on the blog at That Western Life.

Listen to Taylor Morton’s episode, Marketing Manager for Justin Brands, here!

That Western Life Podcast X COWGIRL Episode 13: Taylor Morton

September 24, 2021 0 comments CG Social Team

A graduate from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelors of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications, Taylor Morton started a job just four days post graduation at Justin Brands, Incorporated. Growing through the company into her current role as the marketing manager, Taylor gets to work with some of the coolest people like country stars Reba McEntire and George Strait, as well as manage content shoots, campaigns, and more!

“Born and raised in the heart and center of Fort Worth, Texas, Taylor had always been around the Western industry but had never really been immersed in it. While going to local rodeos, she was never a part of FFA or anything like that. Just a block down the road from her high school, TCU seemed like the obvious choice, as it had been for the rest of her family, but she started to look at different schools around the country.

“The most important aspect to Taylor was a school with a “big football field around it,” meaning that it was a small campus but had a huge impact into the community. That school was the University of Mississippi and, while being in the south, it was very different from where she grew up in Texas.

“‘My official major is a Bachelor of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications with a minor in business administration with an emphasis in PR, which is a really, really big mouthful to say marketing through the journalism school,’ says Taylor with a laugh. Knowing that marketing and communications was always what she was destined for. Marketing in the business school became very numbers heavy for her, and she missed the storytelling aspect, and after her advisor did just that, advised her, to check out the journalism school and that led to the creative side of marketing.”

Listen to Taylor’s episode here!

COWGIRL 30 Under 30 is sponsored by The Cowboy Channel, Wrangler, Montana Silversmiths, Durango Boots, Charlie 1 Horse Hats, and Cavender’s.

Make sure to follow That Western Life on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter so that you can engage with our guests before they come on the show! Read more on the blog at That Western Life.

Listen to Shelby Winchell’s episode, 2016 CNFR Goat Tying Champion turned Rodeo Coach, here!

That Western Life Podcast X COWGIRL Episode 11: Karlee Peterson

September 3, 2021 0 comments CG Social Team

Raised in South Dakota, from a young age Karlee Peterson and her sister would “train the heck” out of mini ponies that they’d purchase for a measly $75 from the local newspaper advertisements. Selling these gentled ponies for a bunch of money that they’d use to go jackpot and compete. Starting that process all over again as they got older with training full-sized horses – tips and training they were taught from their parents.

“Incredible hardworkers that we come from,” says Karlee in regards to South Dakotans. “Grew up training a lot of horses right there in the beautiful hills of South Dakota.”

“What was really special about the horses that we got to rodeo on is that either my parents started them or we, as a family, trained them,” says Karlee. Growing up, they’d be on the road for five weeks at a time and after that time being together, in close quarters, in a living quarter horse trailer taught her a lot of respect for her family, the western lifestyle, her competitors, and more. “It’s really special for me to have that bond with so many of my friends for such a long time and getting to grow up together.”

“Without my mentors, there is absolutely no chance that I would be here today,” says Karlee, who was able to surround herself with two extremely incredible people that took her under their wing despite her being green. They taught her more than just television, they taught her life lessons, and how to be informed with the news. They taught her how to have fun and to have no bad days – they all add up to more than you could ever imagine and completely turned Karlee into the person that she is today.

Listen to Karlee’s episode here!

COWGIRL 30 Under 30 is sponsored by The Cowboy Channel, Wrangler, Montana Silversmiths, Durango Boots, Charlie 1 Horse Hats, and Cavender’s.

Make sure to follow That Western Life on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter so that you can engage with our guests before they come on the show! Read more on the blog at That Western Life.

Listen to Shaina Zollman’s episode, Owner/Producer, HORSEpro.tv, here!

That Western Life Podcast X COWGIRL Episode 10: Shaina Zollman

August 24, 2021 0 comments CG Social Team

Shaina Zollman grew up in the cowboy town of Pendleton, Oregon, and went on to follow in her family’s legacy of Pendleton Round-Up participation and volunteerism when she was a part of their court as first a princess and then the queen. After her years as a titleholder, she got involved with cow horses and, after graduating from Oregon State University with a Wildlife Biology degree, she found her passion of education and content creation with her boyfriend, Dusty. Together they created HorsePro.TV where Shaina took Dusty’s idea and learned all the technology needed to make it a reality. She does all of the content strategy, video creation, and membership outreach and management for their online database of fundamental equine training programs. 

“Focused on the foundation of a horse, they film the full session with the horse from the moment the trainer gets on to when they get off, without any editing. Whatever problems may arise, you will see how that trainer will work through that.

“‘It’s just the brain-child of my other half, Dusty, he pretty much came up with the idea and what he wanted it to look like and to do,” says Shaina. “But he didn’t know how to do the technology part so he passed it off to me to make it happen.'”

Listen to Shaina’s episode here!

COWGIRL 30 Under 30 is sponsored by The Cowboy Channel, Wrangler, Montana Silversmiths, Durango Boots, Charlie 1 Horse Hats, and Cavender’s.

Make sure to follow That Western Life on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter so that you can engage with our guests before they come on the show! Read more on the blog at That Western Life.

Listen to Brandi Phillips’ episode, Trick Rider, Trick Roper, and Western Performer, here!

That Western Life Podcast X COWGIRL Episode 9: Brandi Phillips

August 17, 2021 0 comments CG Social Team

Brandi Phillips attributes a lot of her career success to the Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls and the program that Chad & Jennifer have built and it’s not just her career as a specialty act, but in their overall mentorship and stability for youth. Through trick riding and trick roping, Brandi has been able to travel the globe competing in trick riding competitions (and winning!) in Canada, as well as performing for Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee!

“’My initial experiences from horses were from my grandmother Linda who was very influential in my life,’ says Brandi, who grew up with Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds, and Arabians. As a very small kid, that is where her first introduction began, but when her grandfather got sick they sold all of them to move closer to town. Brandi didn’t get back to horses until she got involved with Riata Ranch – it was definitely a journey to make it a career!

“’It’s cool to not be raised around them to now having my life revolve around [horses],’ says Brandi.

“The Riata Ranch was started in 1957 by Tommy Meyer as a riding school with western performance teams, reining and cow horses. Tommy put cowboys and cowgirls through the ringer to make them well rounded all around competitors. In the 1970’s it transitioned to a full time trick riding team, which is where Jennifer Nicholson was a part of the original trick riding team. A mentorship, leadership program that uses trick riding and trick roping teaches you skills that you can use later in life. Typically, it’s a youth a program and you don’t stay around through your adult life but Brandi is one of the few that once she got there, she didn’t leave for quite a long time!”

Listen to Brandi’s episode here!

COWGIRL 30 Under 30 is sponsored by The Cowboy Channel, Wrangler, Montana Silversmiths, Durango Boots, Charlie 1 Horse Hats, and Cavender’s.

Make sure to follow That Western Life on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter so that you can engage with our guests before they come on the show! Read more on the blog at That Western Life.

Listen to Janie Johnson’s episode, Broadcaster for The Cowboy Channel and Barrel Racer, here!

That Western Life Podcast X COWGIRL Episode 8: Janie Johnson

August 11, 2021 0 comments CG Social Team

When it comes to Janie Johnson, you can’t help but fall in love with her authentic rodeo roots and love for the sport of rodeo! Her go-getter and can’t-take-no attitude has helped her both in the barrel racing pen and in her professional career as a sideline broadcaster for professional rodeo. Whether it was creating videos as a steer wrestling hazer at the National High School Rodeo Finals or showing up almost unannounced for an internship at the National Finals Rodeo, Janie takes you along her adventure to become a COWGIRL Magazine 30 Under 30 2021 recipient!

“Growing up in Canyon, Texas, which is just outside of Amarillo and the definition of “west Texas.” Despite growing up on a ranch, Janie wanted to be a superstar or Disney channel star like Hillary Duff in Lizzie McGuire. It wasn’t until her teen years that she fully got into horses and rodeo, even though she had been riding her whole life.

“Janie’s dad was a four-time world champion saddle bronc rider, and was an all-around likeable and joyful man. In hindsight, Janie appreciates horses and family so much more than she ever did in the time. Horses, animals and the land, looking back, shaped her and she feels lucky to have had the childhood that she had.”

Listen to Janie’s episode here!

COWGIRL 30 Under 30 is sponsored by The Cowboy Channel, Wrangler, Montana Silversmiths, Durango Boots, Charlie 1 Horse Hats, and Cavender’s.

Make sure to follow That Western Life on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter so that you can engage with our guests before they come on the show! Read more on the blog at That Western Life.

Listen to Kaitlin Gustave’s episode, Assistant Editor and Digital Editor for “The Team Roping Journal”, here!