cowgirls in style winter 2011

2011 Miss Rodeo

America McKenzie

Haley

Taryn Hale

for theHolidaysMake Up Tips

Cowgirls Christmas

Ultimate CowgirlFor 2012

Wrangler

www.CowgirlsInStyle.com

Winter 2012 $4.95 U.S.

In StyleMagazine

Contents Cowgirls In Style

Magazine

20 The Designers of The Miss roDeo AMericA PAgeAnTread about the top de-signers in the industry as we go behind the scenes of the Miss rodeo Ameri-ca Pageant. Meet Patricia Wolf, Meredith Lockhart, Jan faulkner- Wagoner, Kristine samp-son, Donna riva and Bob Kipperman

12 Make Up Tips for the Holidays

20 Latest Fashions from the MRA Designers

34 Meet Miss Rodeo 2011 McKen-zie Haley.

41 Bling Your Horse

42 Meet Wrangler Ultimate Cow-girl Next Door winner

55 Cowgirls Christmas

Cover Credits: Miss Rodeo America McKenzie Haley Photographed by:John Shooter/ Shooter EnterprisesWrangler Ultimate Cowgirl Taryn Hale Photographed by: Steve Bonini

On The Cover

34 McKenzie hALey one on one WiTh Miss roDeo AMericA 2011

42 TAryn hALe MeeT WrAngLer’s ULTiMATe coWgirL nexT Door for 2012

55 coWgirLs chrisTMAs hoLiDAy gifT iDeAs

34

42

specials

In Beauty 12 holiday Makeup Tips

In Fashion 14 cowgirls Winter fashion forecast 16 Latest styles from the Biggest Brands

In Equestrian 38 horse Training 10141 Bling your horse.

In Rodeo46 Queen’s corner

In Business 48 Business holiday Marketing 50 sliding heart horses

How ‘Bout Them Cowgirls52 Behind the chutes with fallon Taylor 54 Making a Difference

In Travel 58 The Western Wanderer visits Chesterfield, Idaho

Photo By: John shooter/shooter enterprises

Spring Issue Coming March 2012

• spring fashions• country Weddings• celebrity fashions• spring clean and

organize your Tack room and Barn

• The Jean That is right for you

• Much More!

In Every Issue

2011 MrA contestants and judges

Coming March 2012

7 Cowgirls Mailroom 8 A Cowgirl’s Voice 9 Country Buzz 10 E-Cowgirl 60 Barn Boutique

feATUres

in every issUe

HappyHolidays!

Cowgirls Mail Room

See what people are saying about Cowgirls In Style Magazine

We launched our first issue in July and have had great feedback!

Thanks everyone!

Loved the Terri clark story!!! i am sUch!!! a big fan of hers and have always been. i am glad she is coming out again. f.i.n.A.L.L.y!!!-Dawn

great magazine! i’m already looking forward to the next issue!!-Jennifer

Proud to be in the first issue of this magazine. Loved the interview with Terri clark and looking forward to your next issue and keep up the good work!-star

My favourite section in the Magazine is “The Western Wanderer”...Love it!!! can’t wait to read the next one ;-)-heidi

congratulations cowgirls in style magazine a fantastic result. i am thrilled with my advertisment. A big thank you-carmel

Love it.... holler for country girls...-Amy

Love this magazine-Jennifer

This is a cool Magazine! i want to get involved!-elaine

it would be very helpful if you promoted a different horse rescue thoroughout the United states each month in your magazine and help get donations for the wonderful people that help horses that have been thrown away. A write up on these heros and their equine rescues would be greatly appreciated.-shelley

email us your [email protected]

www.cowgirlsinstyle.com | [email protected]

A Cowgirl’s Voice...

from the editor

Happy Holidays! Welcome to our very first print issue of Cow-girls In Style magazine!

We are so excited about this issue and hope you will enjoy it as much as we did putting it together! Many of us on the staff were in heaven as we were able to cover the Miss Rodeo America pageant designers and feature MRA Queen, McKenzie Haley on the cover of this issue. What a perfect queen to represent our country in the sport of Rodeo!

We also love our own Bobbie Hind’s, “Rodeo Queen Column” as she goes back in time and relates her story as Miss Rodeo Kansas and her trip to Las Vegas to compete for the title of Miss Rodeo America. Also, look out for Taryn Hale the new “Wrangler Ultimate Cowgirl Next Door” contest winner. Taryn truely defines what an ultimate cowgirl is with her experience in horsemanship and the cowgirl lifestyle. Tis the season for getting ready for the holidays. This issue includes fun, informative information on the holiday season from gift giving in our Cowgirls Christmas section to promoting your business creatively throughout the holidays. As I get ready to decorate for the holidays and do all of the fun traditions that go along with the holiday festivi-ties, I stop to think of those that are less fortunate than I am and what I can do to help. It was an honor to write about Robin Clark, a cowgirl who spends her time each year with a “Coats For Kids Barrel Race.” Ev-ery year, more families are warmer and happier because of her. If we could all be a little more giving this year and think of those that are less fortunate than we are. As Robin says, “A warm feeling comes over you like nothing else I have ever felt.”

Until next time, have a very Merry Christmas and safe holidays! We hope to see you on the trail!

~SusieEditor In [email protected]

Cowgirls In Style

Magazinesusan gentry

susan gentryFounder

Editor-In-Chief

Jeannie flynnAssistant Editorrobert gentryAssistant Editor

ContributorsBobbie hinds

Michelle st. claircort flynnJ.D. Moore

sarah DegrootDevanie gentryJulie hullinger

Art/Production/Layoutcountry Productions

AdvertisingQuinton charles

PhotographerAshley Kelly

Send editorial submissions to:[email protected]

For Advertising:[email protected]

Country ProductionsP.O. Box 841

Washington, UT 84780

Email:[email protected]

Winter 2012

Copyright Country Productions/Cowgirls In Style Magazine. Cowgirls In Style does not assume liablil-ity for articles, productios or services advertised within.

8 | cowgirls in style | WINTER 2012

Country Buzz

Entertainment

The second annual AMericAn coUn-Try AWArDs will air live from the MgM grand garden Arena in Las ve-gas Monday, Dec. 5 (8:00-10:00 PM eT live/PT tape-delayed) on fox. Ja-son Aldean and zac Brown Band lead the AMericAn coUnTry AWArDs nominees with eight nominations each; Thompson square earned seven nods; and The Band Perry and Taylor swift each garnered six.

hosted by Trace Adkins and Kristin chenoweth, the two-hour live music spectacular is the only country music awards show that gives fans the op-portunity to vote for their favorite art-ists not only in traditional categories but also in previously unrecognized areas of the business such as touring, encompassing the entire spectrum of country music and bestowing hon-ors that no other awards show has.

The AMericAn coUnTry AWArDs will feature performances and ap-pearances by the year’s chart-top-ping country artists.

ARTISTSArtist of the Year Jason AldeanKenny chesneyLady Antebellum Taylor swiftzac Brown Band

Artist of the Year: MaleJason AldeanLuke BryanKenny chesneyBrad PaisleyBlake shelton

Artist of the Year: Femalesara evansAlison KraussMiranda LambertTaylor swift carrie Underwood

Artist of the Year: Duo or GroupThe Band PerryLady Antebellumrascal flattssugarlandzac Brown Band

Artist of the Year: Breakthrough Artisteric churcheli young BandJustin MooreJake owenchris young

Artist of the Year: New ArtistThe Band Perryscotty MccreeryJerrod niemann Pistol AnniesThompson square

ALBUMAlbum of the YearJason Aldean, “My Kinda Party” Kenny chesney, “hemingway’s Whiskey”Brad Paisley, “This is country Music” Taylor swift, “speak now” Keith Urban, “get closer”zac Brown Band, “you get What you give”

SINGLESsingle of the yearBilly currington, “Let Me Down easy”Tim Mcgraw, “felt good on My Lips”Thompson square, “Are you gonna Kiss Me or not”chris young, “voices”zac Brown Band with Alan Jackson, “As she’s Walking Away”

The American Country Awards

For more information go to www.theACAS.com

December 5, 2011 on fox

Phot

os a

nd p

ress

rele

ase

from

fo

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Top: carrie Underwood Middle: reba Mcentire Bottom: Lady Antebellum2010 AcA’s

WINTER 2012 | www.cowgirlsinstyle.com | 9

e -CowgirlCOWgIrL BLOggEr |Devanie gentry

cowDivas second Millenium cowgirls

i found a group on facebook that

be invited or gain permission to join the group. cowDivas was formed in 1999 in oregon. Their desire was to form a worldwide group of like-minded wom-en who live and embrace the rural and western lifestyle – regardless of age, pant size, or marital status – but with a modern and individual twist. Whether decked out for a night on the town or fresh out of the barn, these ladies retain their dignity and positive attitude. These ladies live the lifestyle,

embrace the camaraderie and the competition in their hearts, love, and live life to the fullest. Their goal is to give women who share these qualities a place to meet others like themselves while we help them through inspiration and pro-motion to chase their dreams both in and out of the arena. The cowDivas collective, which currently stands at 30 different companies and individu-als, features services and products by members of our group. All are wom-an-owned businesses and vary from jewelry manufacturers to saddle mak-ers – and everything in between.

Head over and find them on Facebook!

Take our Online Christmas PollVote for your favorite All-Time Country Christmas song on our website www.CowgirlsInStyle.com

Christmas in DixieTennessee Christmas

Most Wonderful Time of the YearPretty Paper

Make It Through December

Christmas Without You

is worth your time to be a part of. it is called cowDivas - second Millenium cowgirls. it is a closed group, which means you have to


Kim H Howell311 Teal DriveRaeford, NC 28376

[email protected]


Wantedideas

stories

• What would you like to see

in Cowgirls In Style?

cowgirlsinstyle.cominfo@

In Beauty

you are a cowgirl. you wear the denims, the boots and the jewelry, but do you wear cowgirl makeup? As we enter the winter season of 2012, cowgirls not only need to keep their clothes in style, but also makeup trends in mind. eyes are metallic, lips are red, skin is neu-tral, and cheeks are rosy this com-ing season. skin tones are trending toward neutral and nude. Pick a founda-tion that matches your skin per-fectly, which will help set a base for the rosy cheeks trend. Apply our Wild West Blush on the cheekbone to help achieve the nude look. for eyes, update the summer gray metallic look with lots of col-or. Bold shades including blues, greens, and golds are great op-tions. Define your eyes with one of our dark eyeliner pencils like Texas Tea and then apply eye shadow on the upper and lower eyelash lines adding a hint of eye shadow to the

inner eye. cowgirl Dirt has over 40 different shades of eye shadow from cowgirl Up to Let’s ride. red lips are also in, but pair them with neutral makeup. choos-ing the right red for your skin can be a difficult task, so try the fol-lowing tips. fair skin types should try reds with undertones of blue or orange like our country Peach Lip gloss. for bronze to dark skin tones try pink undertones like our secretariat Lip Tint. now every cowgirl can combine her winter fashion wardrobe with the latest trends in makeup. Join cowgirl Dirt in keeping cowgirls’ dress and face in cowgirl fashion.

Cowgirl Dirt is a west-ern themed makeup line made with all

cowgirls and cowgirls at heart in mind.

Cowgirl Beauty Tipsgetting that natural look for the holidays...

Cowgirl Dirt540 Little Basin creek roadButte, MT 59701Phone: [email protected]

Eyes are metallic, lips are red, skin is

neutral, and cheeks are rosy this

coming season. Skin tones are

trending toward neutral and nude.

WriTTen By sarah Degroot


In Fashion

Fashion ForecastWinter 2012

Color ranges for women are filled with neu-trals like maroon Camel and Caramels; mid-

tones Colors like purple, orange and red; and vivid hues like old teal and turquoise.

faux fur is totally in. raccoon, lynx, leopard and chinchilla. coyote will be big also both as trim, collars and full jack-ets. Always with a touch of western, concho closure or

fringe etc. Big belts are happening both as cinchers and low slung. Waistlines are moving back up! But our cowgirls will always like low rise. it’s a comfort fac-tor. short, full fun skirts with high boots and copper is the new silver in jewelry. speaking of jewelry, leather bracelets, lots of layers, double and triple wraps with metal and turquoise studs. Deep espresso brown and red with metallics. Distressed leathers in outerwear and boots are still in fashion. This informa-tion is all relayed to us by fashion de-signer, Patricia Wolf. she is a well known

designer for not only many celebrities, but the Miss rodeo America pageant as well.

remember last year when many of the fashions were in gray tones? Well, gray is out and more bright, vibrant colors are in. The color ranges for women are filled with neutrals like maroon camel and caramels; mid-tones colors likes purple or-ange and red; and vivid hues like gold teal and turquoise. Bur-gandy is going to probably be the biggest color for the winter of 2012, with tones from the wine color palette. Mixing colors is in. Turquoise is always in style in the cowgirl fashion world, but is also in style on the runways of new york and around the world. Dress up or dress down your turquoise. if you haven’t worn it for a while, take it out and dust it off because it is back in style in every fashion.

Faux Fur is totally in. Both as trim collars and

full jackets. Big belts, cop-per is the new silver in

jewelry. Leather bracelets, lots of layers.

CowgirlsWrITTEn BY Devanie gentry

14 | cowgirls in style | WINTER

Meredith Lockhart, well known designer, says mixing western fashions with mainstream fashions is very popular.

it would seem that 2011’s ‘black is the new black’ trend is done. We are looking at some bright colors in the upcoming year. expect a lot of yellows and ev-ery shade of orange you can imagine. in 2012, citrus colors are the new black.

speaking of color trends, the way that you will see colors used in designs is about to get retrofitted to modern styles. Designers are taking those bright yellows and oranges and putting them with neutral colors in block format. Without actually “mixing” the colors like paint, you get the contrast with a new color palette not seen before…all in one bag.

Jewel tones such as these colors are always good:Deep turquoise and teal

raspberry and wineTangerine, coral and deep golden yellowMidnight blue

Meredith loves to mix these colors in with chocolate brown , a nice camel or some shade of tan. “i like to go for the look i call rutic elegance,” says Meredith, “where i mix something quite formal looking with something with rough edges. i like to mix a hand dyed velvet garment with something very rustic looking. Mixing western fashions in with mainstream looks is very popular. A touch of western has become a staple of contemporary fashion as it continues to beseen on the major runways.”

In Fashion

“Mixing western fashions with mainstream

fashions is becoming very popular.”

~Meredith Lockhartfashion Designer

SubScribe!www.CowgirlsInStyle.com


our pick is the Cowgirl Tuff cream, long sleeve, lace shirt with jersey lining. Lace is big this year and in all colors.

This shirt is the perfect look for the holidays. Accessorize with pearls, silver or black. Dress it up or dress it down. it works with heels and boots, jeans, skirts or pants.

www.cowgirltuffco.com

In Fashion

H00149-Black long sleeve slub tee with bleaching ef-fect. Copper foil cross on front and back. Bleached detail wings on back with detail on sleeve. MSRP $39.00

H00150-Black long

sleeve dress with black lace detail.

Screen print design cross with wings, doves and roses on

front shoul-ders. MSRP

$70.00

Don’t Fence Me In-Our

signature jean (MSRP $74.99)

H00139-Tur-quoise long sleeve henley thermal with crystal wings down both sleeves. MSRP $50.00

From the BIGGEST Cowgirl Brands

Cowgirl Tuff News...

•Wing and A Prayer-$5 of every pair purchased will be donated to Western Wishes, available. (MsrP $94.99)

•Queen of Everything-Available now and in no-vember (MsrP $98.99)

•Cowgirl Tuff meets B. Tuff. cowgirl Tuff co. in-troduced a new men’s line, B. Tuff Jeans in Janu-ary. Women can’t stop talking about them and men can’t stop wearing them.

To view more clothing and information about cowgirl Tuff, go to:

www.cowgirlTuffco.com

Cowgirls In Style Pick

www.cowgirltuffco.com

Try on a pair of “Don’T fence

Me in” Jeans” cowgirl Tuff’s

signaTureJean

Latest Cowgirl Fashions...


..

our pick is the Wrangler Distressed Light Denim JacketThis rock 47 collection is garnished with embroidery and studs.

Bling it up with a rhinestone belt, silver necklace and the essential earrings. A great outfit for the holiday.

www.wranglerwestern.com

In FashionLatest Cowgirl Fashions...Get Your Cowgirl On...

Cowgirls In Style Pick


Rock 47 by Wrangler, style

Zip Front Dip Dye Fleece

Sweatshirt with Hood. Front

Pocket. Wing and Horseshoe

Design on Back. Scrolling on

Front Pockets. MSRP: approx.

$52

Wrangler News...

Booty Up JeansThe Booty Up jean fea-tures unique darts , seams, stitching patterns and fab-rics all designed to visually lift the rear for the shape women desire. They have under sewn -seams, slant-ed side darts and reposi-tioned back pockets.

find the Booty Up jeans on our website or any fine stores that sell the Wran-gler brand.

visit the Wrangler booth at the cowboy christmas at the Wnfr in vegas. Booth #425


Booty Up by Wrangler, Under-sewn seams, slanted side darts and repositioned back pockets visually lift the seat, Carolina Breakaway washMSRP: ap-prox. $64

As Real As WranglerZip Front Vest. Front and Back Yokes. Side

Inset Pockets. Decorative Polar Fleece MSRP: approx. $70

Wrangler Western Shirts – Cowgirl Forever Collection , style #LWK601HDetails: Long Sleeve V-Neck “Skull with Roses”. Rhinestones. MSRP: approx. $30

Rocky 47 by Wrangler,

style #WJX-54DV

Pure Blue Cast with All Over

Pop Stitch-ing, Voodoo

Stretch, Exag-gerated Boot Cut, Denver Darling wash$79.99

Rock 47 by Wrangler, style

#WHS23SFDetails: Overdyed Blackened Indigo, Voodoo Stretch, 98% Cotton/2% Spandex, Skinny

Leg, Santa Fe Dark wash

MSRP: approx. $79.99

warM up wiTh a JackeT or vesT

froM wrangler. wheTher iT’s

fleece, DeniM or quilTeD, iT will keep you warM

During The win-Ter MonThs


Give the Gift ofFashion

www.CowgirlsInstyle.comonly $19.95 for 1 year subscriptionThe latest in cowgirl fashion for each season

2011 Miss Rodeo contestants pose outside of the Sams Town in Las Vegas, Nevada. Each dressed in designer clothing, these

women come from all over the United States. CIS takes a look at the designers behind the fashions.

Photo by John Shooter

Miss Rodeo America Pageant

DesignersWriTTen By susan gentry

Every year in the month of December, cowboys and cowgirls descend upon the city of Las vegas to compete in and enjoy the atmosphere of rodeo, warm weather, shopping and night life. one group of women who not only stand

out because of their personalities, beauty and horsemanship, but also because of their fashionable clothing. They are the contestants of the Miss rodeo America Pageant.

The Miss rodeo America organization spans the country, bringing together rodeo enthusiasts for the yearly pageant and competition to select and crown Miss rodeo America from among America’s state rodeo queens. for over 50 years, Miss rodeo America has traveled the length and breadth of our country, promoting the sport of rodeo and the western way of life. We are going to introduce to you the designers behind the beautiful fashions of the MrA Pageant. Meet some of the biggest names in cowgirl fashions. These designers not only design for the MrA Pageant, but for celebrities in the country entertainment world and more.

MEET ThE DESIgnErS BEhInD ThE MrA FAShIOnS


P atricia Wolf is a “Made in America” company and has made everything in smithville, Texas for 30 years. All Patricia Wolf labels proudly say “Made in Texas”. she makes a variety of

western lifestyle products including apparel, acces-sories, and home décor. her specialty is blending looks of contemporary and vintage Western, as well as native American looks using leathers and textiles. Many designs are embellished with copyrighted hand painted details, antique silver and turquoise studs, rhinestones, lacing, and fringe. her products have that homey feel of quality and present an interesting visual mix that encourages customers to explore the intricate details of her beautiful creations.

celebrity customers include Alan Jackson (frontier Jacket worn in the Tv ford commercial), Mr. & Mrs. Wayne newton, reba Mcentire (cover of Tv guide), Mark chestnutt, Dixie chicks, Tanya Tucker, and Joan Baez. Patricia Wolf has received prominent exposure in cowboys & indians, vogue, and elle magazines and is currently featured in crows nest and Pendle-ton home catalogs. she has been featured on Tv and radio lifestyle programs and is known to give quite an entertaining interview. Patricia has performed

PatriciaWolf

MRA Pageant Designer (512) 237-3388

P.O. Box 807 | Smithville, TXwww.PatriciaWolf.com

Patricia Wolf

Miss Rodeo Texas 2010 Celesta Harvey wearing a Patricia Wolf design


Patricia was commissioned to design Govenor Richards “White Hot Mama” motorcycle outfit on the cover of

Texas Monthly July 1992.

Celebrity customers such as Alan Jackson, Mr. & Mrs. Wayne Newton, Reba McEntire, Mark Chestnutt, Dixie Chicks, Tanya Tucker, and Joan

Baez have worn Patricia’s designs.

costuming for feature length films Hope Floats with Sandra Bullock, Tree of Life with Brad Pitt, and Doonby the Movie with John schneider (yet to be released). she has been the featured guest designer for the Miss rodeo Texas fashion show gala in 2010 and 2011, and is invited back to Miss rodeo Texas again in 2012.

Patricia Wolf was commissioned to design the “governor’s vest” for Texas governor Ann richards’ birthday gift in 1991 and other special events apparel while governor richards was in office. Patricia was also commissioned to design Governor Richards’ “White Hot Mama” motorcycle outfit on the cover of Texas Monthly July 1992 issue. Patricia’s hus-

band sam presented current Texas governor rick Perry with a custom sam Wolf “Made in Texas” leather vest in 2011.

Patricia Wolf won Best of show honors in March 2011 at the Dallas Market Western Apparel show. she was honored with the 2000 fashion Award for Textile and costume in-stitute of the Museum of fine Arts, houston, Tx. And she received the 1998 natural fiber Designer of the year from the Texas Department of Agriculture honoring home grown Texas designers.


MRA Pageant Designer(913) 886-2247

www.thistleswest.comwww.merezia.com

www.couturecowgirl.com

Meredith recalls, “When I was a child, I could hardly wait for Christmas to see what kind of clothes my mother had made for my dolls. I think that was the beginning of my

interest in sewing and design. I played with an amazing set of paper dolls that my aunt and mother had made when they were teenagers. These were beautifully hand water colored dolls with these wonderful dresses that dated from the late 1800’s thru the 30’s. When I was in the seventh grade, I made my first dress that I could wear to school, and my teachers complimented me on it and I was hooked! Coming from a family of talented artists and musicians probably sealed my destiny. After many years of work in interior design and art related work, in 1989, I created Thistles West, to produce and market high end western and crossover fashions. In 1997, I decided to give something back to the com-munity and went to work for an arts organization in Kan-sas City, Missouri that did programs for inner city, at-risk and adjudicated youth. During that time, we continued to make clothing for major country music artists for TV award shows, videos and CD covers. I was drawn back into the fashion business because of so many requests for my fashions, thus the Merezia Custom label was created for the designs made and worn by rodeo queens for state and national pageants. Inspiration for my designs comes from the love of the western culture. I have had horses since I was a teenager. I married a farmer and live where I am surrounded by hors-es, cattle and beautiful countryside. Yes, Kansas is not all flat with wheat fields for miles and miles. Embellishment ideas come from the rodeo queen wear and she adds them to the accessories. I strive to make a high quality product and like creating things that women feel good about wearing. My love of the western way of life has driven me to design bags, belts and fashions with western flair.”

Meredith

Meredith Lockhart

Lockhart

Photo by: Joseph saadeh


Bobbi Jeen Olson (2011 Face of Thistles West) of Arizona

Country TV, wears Pure Elegance Lambsuede outfit

Meredith won the Best Colection at the 2009 Cody High Style Show in Cody, Wyo-ming. In 2010 Meredith was one of nine women inducted into the Stetson Crafts-

mans Alliance. She has two labels, Merezia, which is dedicated to fine rodeo queen wear, and Thistles West, which is fashions and accessories for the descriminat-ing buyer of high fashion western goods.

She also has a company called Couture Cowgirl and her partner in that company is Missy Unruh from Okeene, Oklahoma. It is a company with midrange priced itemsfor the cowgirl or one who has dreamed of being a cowgirl.

Meredith will be holding a trunk show Location: South Point Hotel Date: Dec. 8-9 Time: 10:00am to 8:00pm.It is by invitation and appointment, so to get an invitation, go to Thistles West on Facebook andask for one.

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Tony Barnett wears the Rustic Elegance

Buckskin Jacket

Silk cascade skirt with Rustic Elegance Buck-

skin bustier shot inCentral Park, NYC

Amy Wilson, Miss Rodeo America

2008 in a Lambskin and Cowhide jacket


MRA Pageant DesignerRamseur, NC

(336) [email protected]

www.janfaulknerleather.com

JanJan Faulkner- Wagoner

Faulkner-Wagoner

Jan is an artist designing, she designs and makes ev-ery garment. her business is just her husband eric and herself, they do not have a factory. everything is custom order or limited designs. Jan has master de-

gree in fashion Design and illustration from The Maryland Institute College of Art. she has been designing in leather for over forty years. she does designs for stores as well as for rodeo Queens.

Jan only design in leather and suedes. she uses embel-lishment techniques with beads, studding, appliqué, and punched lace design. she sells to stores all over the country. she sells direct to customers, as well as to rodeo Queens, where each design is a one of a kind.

Jan designs for stores as well as Rodeo Queens and

only designs in leather and suedes


Nicole Ray, Miss Rodeo Washington 2009 is wear-ing a white Lamb skin with

crystals and nailhead embellishments.

Phot

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Kelli Jackson, Miss Rodeo America 2009

is in a three piece Lamb Suede outfit with silver western

motif embellishment.

Lesli Furness, Miss Rodeo Montana 2009 is in

a sleeveless dress and jacket in Pig suede with Purple and Tur-

quoise embellishments

Anna Carter. is in a bright coral deerskin jacket and

skirt with Turquoise stones and silver nailhead

KristineSampson

MRA Pageant DesignerCustom Order: 435-896-3949Kristi Q Designs on Facebook

JudyDAntonLeather.comRodeoQueenCentral.com

Kristine Sampson

Kristi Q sampson was raised in the small town of scipio, Utah with full intentions of being a coun-try music singer. Kristi and her husband Da-rin sampson, now live in glenwood, Utah and

were married in 1983. They quickly started their family. Two daughters, Kasey Lee and Ken-zey and their son shayne, have traveled the ro-deo trail enjoying 4-h, high school rodeo, AQhyAand the PrcA. The mother of invention was created when Kristi promised to buy her daughter Kasey a leather dress at the nfr cowboy christmas. she was heartbroken to tell her daughter she couldn’t afford to buy the dress she tried on and fell in love with. They went back to Utah with heads hung low. on christmas morning Kristi opened a gift from her husband, Darin and there it was. A brand new shiny Bernina sewing Machine! Just days later, Kris-ti ordered her first hides and taught herself how to sew. Kasey had 5 dresses her freshman year of high school Rodeo. After Kasey was finished with high school, friends started asking her to sew for their daughters and so it began Kristi Q Designs. She is an artist first and a seam-stress second. “i have always loved to sketch and can see things already finished when buying fabric,” says Kristine.

The one thing i keep in mind is that i know how expensive rodeo Queening is. so i keep my prices reasonably low. Kristi has been a sponsor of Miss rodeo America for 6 years and donates an outfit auctioned off at Cowboy Christmas to the winner of the Miss rodeo America Appearance

scholarship. she is also a sponsor for Miss rodeo UsA, Miss rodeo Tennessee and Miss rodeo Utah.

she speaks at Queen clinics on fashion and design and has judged PrcA Queen contests. “i am one of the designers that has my hand in all aspects of Queening. i create and design beautiful leather dresses for fashion show, inter-view and speech. i also make jackets and vest for horse-manship interview and appearances. i enjoy making horse-manship and Arena outfits that sparkle and shine. Creative state shirts for chap Awards to rockin jeans covered in em-broidery for every one to wear. “i do it all!”

her designs have been worn and are being worn by Miss rodeo America Mckenzie haley, Miss rodeo UsA Katie Barger, national Little Britches Queen Katie rasmussen, national Little Britches Princess Lindsie Perkins, nhsrA Queens, state high school Queens, PrcA Barrel racer P.J. Burger, Miss rodeo Wyoming 2012 Kimberly Kuhn, Miss rodeo Texas Lauren graham and so many more... her new 2012 designs include silk, stretch shirts in many colors, they finish a vest and or jacket, and as always, her fun, embroidered jeans.


“I know how expensive Rodeo Queening is, so I keep

my prices reasonably low”~Kristine Sampson


Phot

os b

y: c

hris

tal A

nder

son

Chenae' Shiner in a olive green Custom

Leather Jacket with embroi-dered appliques and antique

gold nail heads

Katie Rasmussen is wearing a Black Lamb Skin Leather Vest

and Skirt reflecting her style with Zebra stripes and stones

Katie Rasmussen in the green top, Chenae’ Shiner in the black vest and

pants, and Carlie Brotherson is in the denim jacket and pink cowboy boots

As a young girl, Donna liked paper dolls. “i would throw the printed dress away and design my own, i also started sewing by making doll clothes for my dolls. My aunt and grandmother had a great

influence in my chosen career,” says Donna.

Donna is the President of Miss rodeo california, inc., the pageant director of the Miss rodeo california Pageant and she is also a member of the national Advisory council for Miss rodeo America, inc. “My clothes have been displayed at The national cowgirl hall of fame in ft Worth, Tx and i now have a dress on display at the PrcA cowboy hall of fame, in colorado springs, co,” says Donna.

Donna designs exclusively for rodeo Queens and her de-signs have become very well known in the rodeo Queen industry. she has had the pleasure of designing and mak-ing clothes for 14 Miss rodeo America titleholders, and 17 Miss rodeo california titleholders, as well as other numer-ous state titleholders. Donna made the dress that McKen-zie haley wore for her coronation last year at the Miss ro-deo America Pageant, and she also designed and made the denim dress she wore to the inductions to the PrcA hall of fame. Donna says that she likes to describe her designs as elegant with a western flair. They can be worn now, and several years down the road still be in style.Donna resides in Paso robles, cA.

MRA Pageant DesignerWestern Reflections Originals

(805) [email protected]

DonnaRiva

Donna Riva


Donna’s designs are elegant with a western flair. They can be worn now and several years

down the road and still be in style

Darci Robertson, Miss Ro-deo America 2004 wearing a Donna Riva vintaage outfit.

Photo By John shooter

2011 Miss Rodeo America McK-enzie Haley in a

Donna Riva design.

MRA Pageant DesignerKippys

Coronado, CA(619) 435-6218

www.Kippys.com

Bob Kipperman’s designs are well known in the en-tertainment industry. Kippys is a san Diego based design house led by owner robert Kipperman.

Born in 1948, Kippys began as a luxe-retail store in coro-nado importing celebrated fashions from abroad. Today Kippys produces full ready-to-wear collections for men and women along with ornate one-of-a-kind custom pieces for entertainers such as: Madonna, Beyonce Knowels, elizabeth hurley, z z Top, and stephen Tyler of Aerosmith to name a few.

Kippys flagship storefront remains today in the heart of downtown coronado, california, supplying all who enter with unique vision and creativity.

This is Kippys newest, most popular jacket. It is the Tattoo Elastica Marionette cuff shirt jacket. Its made of Italian leather and embellished with Swarvovski crystals.

BobKipperman

Kippys produces full ready-to-wear collections for men and women along with one-of-a-kind custom pieces for entertainers.

Bob Kipperman


Photo By: John shooter

Q&A’s with...

McKenzie•Haley

Miss Rodeo America 2011

Cowgirls In Style: Where did you grow up? Were you raised on a ranch/farm?

McKenzie Haley: i was born and raised in Winner, south Dakota. My parents are not farmers/ranchers. My mom is a dental hygienist and my dad works for golden West, which is a internet/telephone company in south Dakota. My grandparents were and are very in-volved with high school and 4-h rodeo in south Da-kota and my aunt was Miss rodeo south Dakota 1994. When i took an interest at a young age, my grandpar-ents and my aunt put me on the path to where i am now.

CIS.: have you ridden horses all of your life?

MH: i have. i started riding at a young age.

CIS: How old were you when you entered your first rodeo pageant?

MH: i started competing in 4-h horse shows when i was 8 and I entered my first 4-H rodeo when I was 10 years old. i competed in high school rodeo and 4-h rodeo growing up, i did the queen contest , ran barrels and tied goats.

CIS: What is the hardest part of the competition?

MH: To me, the hardest part of the competition is prepar-ing for the current events questions. getting ready for all those possible questions before the MrA pageant was the most stressful and hardest part for me.

CIS: What has the past year been like? your favorite part of being the reigning MrA? Any experiences you would like to relate…

MH: My year as MrA has been unbelievable. Traveling all over the country, being involved with many different ro-deos, meeting and making friends with children and meet-ing incredible people along the way has been just what i wanted it to be! i have to say that my favorite part of be-ing MrA are the people that have made this year amaz-ing. People have come into my life this year that will always remain in my life. Being MrA is only going to last one year, but the people that i have met and the people that i have become friends will always be there. They have made each and every trip memorable and fun.

CIS: What is your favorite thing to do when you come home from a busy week?

MH: i love to catch up on my sleep!! hA! Being home is a time to unpack, do some laundry, repack and get back on the road. When i have more than a few days home, i love to see family and friends, share all my stories from traveling with my Aunt and work out.

As the year winds down and McKenzie’s reign comes to an end, she talks about her life, the past year and her plans for the future

“ I lovE A suNDREss... I WIll Also AlWAys BE sEEN IN

soME JEANs, A NICE shIRT AND soME BooTs! My fAvoRITE ACCEssoRy,

JEWElRy!”-MCKENzIE hAlEy


CIS: What is your favorite style of clothing to wear? Are you more a jeans/t-shirt/boots or dress up, etc…

MH: i like to do a little of everything. in the summer time, i love a sundress. i will also always be seen in some jeans, a nice shirt and some boots! My favorite accessory, jewelry! i like to add lots of bracelets, necklaces and big earrings! Playing with clothes and jewelry is something i like to do!

CIS: What are your hobbies, interests outside of rodeo?

MH: i like to work out, but different kinds of working out. i started this boxing workout class with a boxer and i re-ally enjoy it. i’m only able to do it when i’m home, but i always look forward to it. i also enjoy being with fam-ily and friends. My brothers are still in high school and whenever i’m home i try to make it to their baseball games, football games, wrestling matches or track meets.

CIS: What is your favorite music (artist, song etc...), movie, book?

MH: i listen to a wide range of music and it always seems to change with my mood or time of the year! i like Mi-randa Lambert, Lady gaga, eric church or Pink. i like a little of everything. i love nicholas sparks books. Love stories are my favorite and he writes some amazing love stories! CIS: What are your plans after your reign is over?

MH: i am planning on going back to school. i am going to change my degree and i am planning on going into speech and Language Pathology. i want to move as well. Right now, University of Oklahoma is my first pick, but I have other options that i am looking into. i am very excit-ed for the next step in life and what it has in store for me!

2012 MRA Pageant Activities

EVENT TIMES AND LOCATIONS SUBJECT TO CHANGE (This does not include all events)

Saturday, DECEMBER 3, 2011 11:30 A.M. – 1:30 P.M. orientation-hollywood Theatre 2:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M. hospitality room & Ticket registration open 3:30 P.M. – 5:30 P.M. Judges prepare for inter-views4:30 P.M. – 9:30 P.M. contestants fashion show rehearsal5:30 P.M. – 7:00 P.M. Parent social Mixer 6:45 P.M. Live feed of Wnfr-hollywood Theatre (open to the public)Sunday, DECEMBER 4, 20119:30 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. —hospitality room & Ticket registration open 12:45 P.M. —Live feed of Wnfr-hollywood 5:30 P.M. —elevation sunday-KA Theater (open to public)6:45 P.M. —contestant’s red carpet entrance & group photos/cowgirl Kickoff Party7:00 P.M. – 10:00 P.M. —cowgirl Kickoff Party “With a vintage Theme,” BBQ Buffet Dinner, Dance & silent Auction showcase Bidding Monday, DECEMBER 5, 20118:30 A.M. Doors open to public for horseman-ship competition8:45 A.M. - 11:30 A.M. horsemanship competi-tion-excalibur King Arthur Arena

Tuesday, DECEMBER 6, 201112:00 P.M. – 1:45 P.M. Wnfr LuncheonWednesday, DECEMBER 7, 20111:30 P.M. – 3:30 P.M. fashion show-hollywood Theatre4:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M. fashion show “After Party”Thursday, DECEMBER 8, 201110:30 A.M. – 12:45 P.M. speech session i 2:00 P.M. free Autograph session with Miss rodeo America, Friday, DECEMBER 9, 20118:00 A.M. - 10:15 A.M. speech session ii9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. hospitality room & Ticket registration open1:30 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. contestant introductions & foundation Auction-convention center6:45 P.M. Live feed of Wnfr-hollywood Theatre (open to the public)Saturday, DECEMBER 10, 20118:00 A.M. – 11:00 A.M. —hospitality room & Ticket registration open8:00 A.M. – 11:00 A.M. —Alumni Breakfast12:00 P.M. – 1:00 P.M. —Doors open to public for coronation seating-hollywood Theatre1:00 P.M. – 3:00 P.M. —coronation Performance-hollywood Theatre

All activities are not listed. Please go to: www.MissRodeoAmerica.com for more information


in this ar-ticle, I’ll give you the keys

that’ll im-prove your horse’s re-sponsiveness to you and be willing in his response. By follow-ing these ten steps and incorporat-ing them into your daily riding routine, you will become more tuned into each other; your horse will be less focused on outside

forces because he’ll be tuned into you. By following these steps you’ll chip away at his resistance by enhancing his re-sponsiveness. Once he is responsive, you can work on his willingness. Training your horse to be responsive and willing is impor-tant. It is critical to a broke horse. But when you carry that a step further and spend the time it takes to build willingness, in addition to responsiveness, you are creating a team that can last for years and you will have a truly fun horse to show. Too many horses look great in their futurity years and then “burn out.” This doesn’t have to happen. It may take a little longer to develop and maintain that willing attitude but it is great when you’re fabulous futurity horse is still a beauti-ful senior horse. First you must build responsiveness in your horse. The first seven steps will help you accomplish this:

STEP 1: LEARN TO READ YOUR HORSE’S ENERGY LEVELif your horse is feeling fresh, he’ll be unable to focus, and will most likely resist your cues. if you were to ride him while he’s too fresh, you’d be setting yourself up for a fight. As you get him out of his stall or pen, observe his body language. is he pulling or push-ing on you? refusing to stand still? holding his head and/or tail high? if so, he’s too fresh to focus. Turn him out or lunge him for a while. When you do get on your horse, reevaluate his mood. if he’s

looking around, trying to push through the bridle or otherwise ignoring you, he’s still too fresh. Warm him up by long trotting at least 10 minutes, or until his head drops to its natural level and he consistently flicks an ear back to you. The trot’s diagonal two-beat rhythm will relax his mind and body, tuning him into you and lay-ing the groundwork for a more responsive ride. As you long trot, count “one-two” in rhythm with your horse’s stride. not only will it help you relax, it’ll also help to put you in sync with your horse’s movement. you can also try speeding up and slowing down your counting. you’ll feel him speed up and slow down, accordingly.

STEP 2: REESTABLISH YOUR WHOA CUETeach your horse that “whoa” means to stop moving his feet. “Whoa” is your most important cue. your horse’s responsiveness to it can save you in an uncomfortable or dangerous situation. from the walk, say “whoa,” then reinforce it with a rein cue, releas-ing your rein pressure the instant your horse stops, to reward him. remember, your horse learns by the reward. repeat until he’ll stop from the word “whoa” alone. if he continually walks through your verbal cue, or leans into the bit and immediately wants to walk off after stopping, back him up several steps. release your rein cue, and then ask him to walk forward and then say “whoa” again. Test his response every time you ride and tune it up with the walk-stop-back maneuver whenever his responsiveness dims. you can accelerate your horse’s “whoa” response by practicing from the ground, as well, using pressure on his halter to stop and back him up, should he ignore the cue. remember, we can either teach and reinforce cues or let him get away with things on the ground, but they will all come back to us in the saddle in one form or another.

STEP 3: DEVELOP A LIGHTER MOUTH IN YOUR HORSEfocus on lightening your rein cues, to build your horse’s trust in your hands. your hands are direct lines of communication to your horse’s mouth. They shouldn’t “shout” at him, but rather invite a quiet, two-way conversation. The more your horse trusts your hands, the more responsive he’ll become. To do this you need to practice what i call the “fair pick-up.” That is, make light con-tact with your horse’s mouth before you pull or bump on it. That way you won’t surprise him by striking his mouth without warning much like a calf hitting the end of a rope. Practice by asking you horse to give to the bit laterally. When he’s consistently giving to light rein pressure in both directions, ask him to give verti-cally, to slightly tuck in his nose, in response to equal pressure on both reins. At a standstill, slowly initiate contact with the right side of your horse’s mouth. Lightly bump the rein, so he has no solid bit pressure against which to brace. The instant you feel less pressure in your hand (meaning your horse has tipped his head slightly rightward in response to your cue), release the contact as a reward. Practice again to the right, then to the left and finally straight back. As your horse’s responsiveness improves (you’ll know, because your cues will get lighter and lighter), graduate to the walk, then the jog, then the lope. STEP 4: TUNE UP YOUR HORSES NECK REINING SKILLS reinforce your horse’s response to one-handed neck reining cues,

Horse Training 101By DAnA hoKAnA

The 10 Steps to a Responsive and Willing Horse


by asking your horse to move his front end under your rein hand, and therefore turn whenever you move that hand to one side or the other. i call this exercise “hunt the thumb”. While riding with split reins, center your rein hand just in front of the saddle horn over your horse’s neck with your thumb pointing directly in front of you. At the walk, move your hand 2-3 inches to the right, to drag your left rein against his neck for a cue to turn right. Avoid pulling back at all as that will only confuse him. your horse needs

to “hunt your thumb”, that is, to respond to the new direction your thumb is now pointing to, and to turn in response, to fill that space, that has been opened up by the movement of your hand to the right. if your horse instantly moves to the right, release your cue and reward him. if he doesn’t, reach down with your free hand, grab both reins in a fist and drag them to the right, to reinforce the neck rein cue. The instant he steps to the right, release your cue. Walk forward several steps, then repeat until your horse moves to the right the instant he feels your hand move in that direction. repeat to the left and again gradually move up to doing the exercise at the jog and the lope Also remember that when your hands are in front of the withers, you can control the front end. When they are behind the withers you can control the hindquarters. This is a great exercise to do before going into the show pen to be sure that should you need to pass on the rail or as you skillfully guide through a trail class, that your hand movements will be kept to a minimum while still being responded to immediately by your horse and therefore be less distracting to the overall picture you are presenting to the judge.

STEP 5: TEACH YOUR HORSE TO OBEY AND ACCEPT YOUR LEG CUESMany responsiveness and control problems trace back to a horse’s acceptance or rejection of your legs. if you have to kick hard to get him to go, he’s ignoring your leg cues. if he jumps away from leg pressure, he’s too sensitive to it. if your horse gives you either of these responses, he’s in control and that needs to change. To improve your horses acceptance to your leg cues start with this exercise. first you’ll use a turn on the forehand, in which you’ll ask your horse to step his hindquarters around his front end as it stays still. start by pulling his head in the direction opposite the way you want his hind end to step. This will cause him to swing his hindquarters in the desired direction in order to bal-ance; you’ll reinforce this move by adding leg pressure. With rep-etition he’ll associate stepping laterally with a light cue minimiz-ing your need to tip his head and maximizing his response to your leg. from a standstill, take a rein in each hand. slightly tip your horses head to the right by bringing your right rein slightly back, behind his withers to “plant” his front end and influence

movement in his hindquarters. simultaneously apply light right leg pressure about six inches behind the girth. When you get a single step to the left with his hind legs release your cues and reward him. if your horse doesn’t step to the left, pull your right rein farther back, toward your right knee, to tip his head farther to the right, until he takes a hind leg step. release your cues, walk forward and repeat until he grasps the concept. When he’ll consistently do the maneuver to the left, repeat it to the right.

STEP 6: GAIN THE POWER OF CORRECT BREATHINGWhen you breathe properly, taking full, deep breaths using your diaphragm, your pelvis rolls back and down, putting your seat in the correct position. When your seat is in the correct position, you’ll feel more secure and therefore more relaxed. This causes your horse to relax, and when he is relaxed, he’ll be more re-sponsive to your cues. Tense, shallow breathing (like when you see a spooky object) tips you forward on your pelvis, which is a signal to your horse that there is something out there to be worried about and maybe even something dangerous. To keep this from happening, you can practice correct breathing un-til it becomes second nature to you. When this happens, you can then put it to use whenever you come upon a scary situa-tion while riding. To learn what this feels like, place your hand over your belt buckle area while at a standstill on your horse. Take a deep breath, pushing your abdomen into your hand. if you don’t feel pressure against your hand, you are not using your diaphragm. slowly exhale. Then repeat. Practice this every day at the walk jog and lope as part of your regular warm up. Then use this breathing technique to communicate to your horse through your breathing and relaxed seat that everything is al-right when he is starting to become tense or spook at something.


STEP 7: CATCH YOUR HORSES RHYTHMUse this step to help you to get in sync with your horse’s move-ment by following it with your seat, instead of moving against the motion. By doing this you won’t impede his movement, which can lead to stiffness and resistance. you’ll actually be able to positively influence his body, adding yet another tool to your riding com-munication kit. The better you learn to communicate, the more responsive he’ll become. you can do this by practicing your deep breathing exercise from step 6, as you visualize sitting in a rocking chair or on a swing. Keep your seat relaxed and limber as you “scoop up and catch” your horse’s one-two-three rhythm. once you feel in sync with him, practice influencing his body only with your seat. imagine yourself pushing down on a swing in an effort to soar higher and higher. you’ll feel your horse’s stride lengthen as your seat pushes him forward. you can also lighten that pressure, like slowing down on a swing, and your horse will in turn slow down.

When you add these seven steps to your daily riding routine you will reap the benefits of improved responsiveness in your horse. Here are the final three steps that will develop that truly willing horse:to the right, we will isolate his hindquarters from his shoulders. if needed, ride two-handed, pull his head to the left and cue with your left leg asking his hindquarters to step to the right.

STEP 8: TEACH YOUR HORSE TO SAY “YES” TO YOUget your horse to say “yes”. insist that he step over or move over off your leg. if he sticks or refuses, you can pull his head way over to the left and push, kick or mash until he unlocks his hindquarters and steps over. To encourage him to say yes to you, release or reward him after he gives even one step, then reap-ply the cue and ask for another step. horses learn by reward. Look for a good response and a good place to reward even if-it’s just one or two steps, then get out and reward. i even use my voice sometimes and tell my horse “good boy or girl”. i will also pat my horse. it may sound corny but believe me, horses respond to positive reward and horses love to hear the sound of your voice. Don’t be fooled into thinking horses are like ma-chines. They are animals, powerful beautiful animals, and they respond to sound and touch and you are building a relationship, a good relationship, and it helps to know all about your partner.

STEP 9: TEACH YOUR HORSE TO SAY “YES” WILLINGLYin the previous step, we taught you how to teach your horse to say “yes”. We got our desired response. now let’s evaluate his willing-ness. Let’s say we have our horse moving over. he is stepping over off our leg cue but how is he stepping over? is he mad and run-ning over off your leg or is he moving over only as much as you are asking him to? Let’s think and evaluate while we’re riding. Are you in control of his legs? can you push and get the response you want? Are you driving or riding? i like to think i’m driving, not my horse driving me. i pay attention to his body language. Are his ears back in anger? is he wringing his tail? is he sticking and refusing or is he willing? In the first step, we taught our horse to respond, to say “yes”. now let’s develop willingness. Let’s ask with our leg in a fair, communicative way. Mash or push your leg against your horse. only kick or spur if you get a refusal, then go back to asking. Don’t ride angry if you need to get tough. get tough then go back to asking. you may need 5 minutes or 1 hour of repeating your cue and practicing this one maneuver until you develop and build willingness. i realize this takes time but it is worth it in the long run. each day it will get easier and take less and less time. Practice this until your horse says “yes” to you and says “yes” willingly.

STEP 10: TEACH YOUR HORSE TO SAY “YES” WILLINGLY WITH CADENCE

Cadence is a rhythmic flow or sequence, a rhythmic movement. I want to feel fluid motion. I want to ask and not feel surges and uneven steps. i want to feel my horse step, step, step in a rhythm and when i take my cue away, he stops moving and waits for the next direction. you reach this level by pushing through until you feel his acceptance to such a point that you are the driver and you are driving him into and through his maneuver. Part of how this works so well and affects and improves his movement in every way is that when you push his hindquarters around and ask him to step with cadence, he has to be balanced in order to perform this maneuver. so many times we stopat just a give or a yes to a cue but we didn’t get the full benefit of the maneuver or all the horse had to give because we didn’t ask him to do it and carry himself and have balance and flow in the maneuver. If he can push his hip around with flow, he can lope and trot with more flow. His transitions will be smoother and better. He will be hap-pier. even though i used the example of pushing the hip around, this will apply to anything, to moving the front end, to driving to the face, to backing, to two-tracking. Anytime you connect or communicate with your horse through your hands or legs, if you use this principle, you will improve your horse. When you have this level of willingness, you can truly have his legs and control of his body. Work toward gaining his heart and his willingness.

When we ride and work on our horse, we are in a relation-ship with our horse. We have many relationships in our lives and our riding relationship with our horse is very important to many of us. To have that truly great ride we all work and aim toward, we need to be a team with our horse. We want our horse to want to try for us. Developing and improving your re-lationship with your horse is time well spent. Work on this and watch your horse try for you. it’s a great feeling!

Dana Hokana is one of the top female trainers in the Quarter Horse industry. Dana has taken her Stallion Invested Di-mension to a Reserve World Champion-ship Title, as well as leading her daughters and clients to multiple Congress cham-pionship titles, and World Show top ten placings. Dana has also trained numerous Western Pleasure Circuit Champions and Futurity Winners. Dana’s video series, the Winning Strides Series, is designed to educate horse owners and riders from the basics to competing at high levels in the show arena. Dana takes the horse and rider to new levels of communication so they will reach their top natural potential. For more information on Dana Ho-kana, the Winning Strides DVD Se-ries, and upcoming Winning Strides Clinic dates please visit her website at

w w w . h o k a n a . c o m


Horses In Style

Michelle St. clair talks

Horse BlingIn her regular column, tack designer Michelle St. Clair talks about the latest in horse fashion

Bigger is BetterBigger is Better!!

if you are talking about bling….the coolest thing right now is that AnyThing goes!! We

have found that the bigger the better. Big clunky square conchos set with alternating round and square swarovski crystals surrounded by marquis shaped navettes are all the rage this year! Add that to a wide scalloped breast collar with a matching head stall in any hide or hair and you have instant success!!

The hottest tack on the market has wall to wall crystals with colors in every shade! We like the duchess collection and obviously you do too!! it is running a close second to the Big Texan. The Duchess collection features square conchos stuffed with swarovski checkerboard squares and matching round stones. The conchos are wall to wall!

Another continuing success story is the ed hardy line of tack. ed hardy forces the most brilliant col-or combinations possible on every set. The wild jeweled graphics really make a grand entry at any rodeo. Add accent conchos to match and you can-not lose. so if you are looking for that huge splash of color look no further!!

Anything Goes

In Horse Tack!

You can find more tack and information on Michelle’s website at www.DazzleRockTack.com


Photo by: Steve Bonini

Taryn Hale of Mesa, AZ., the winner of the

Wrangler Ultimate Cowgirl Next

Door contest More u

Meet Taryn Hale of Mesa, AZ.

The Ultimate Cowgirl Next Door

From WranglerMore u

Taryn hale of Mesa, Arizona, was named winner of the Wrangler Ultimate cowgirl next Door contest. The facebook search

for the next model of The Ultimate riding Jean by Wrangler received entries from women who can ride, rodeo and rock Wrangler jeans. More than 350 wom-en entered into the contest, but it was Taryn’s riding and rodeo experience, knowledge of the Wrangler brand, and respect of the western lifestyle that led her to the top of the list. Taryn rides an average of three times a week and competes at least every other month. “My western upbringing has shaped me into the person i am today,” says Taryn. “i live by the old-fashioned, western code of work ethic, respect, hon-or, patriotism and faith. yet my code has a new twist: fashion with my Wrangler Western Wear.”

The search for the cowgirl to represent The Ultimate riding Jean was an important one to the brand for many reasons. When Wrangler set out to develop a riding jean for women in 2008, they partnered with the women of the American Quarter horse Associa-tion and the advertisements have honored this rela-tionship ever since. The brand conducted extensive research to determine what women want and need, and the result was a jean with performance features second to none in the western industry. combining function, fit, comfort and style, The Ultimate Riding Jean collection captures the freedom, independence and beauty inherent in every cowgirl. Look for Tarynto appear in The Ultimate riding Jean print advertise-ments beginning early 2012.

“My Wrangler jeans instill

me with confidence

whether I am on or off a

horse.”--Taryn hale

Wrangler’s Ultimate cowgirl next Door

Photo by: steve Bonini

Photo by: steve Bonini


Twenty-one years ago in late July, i loaded up the back of my ford f250 with a rainbow of hats, boots, jeans, belts, se-quined blouses and a dress or

two and headed to southwest Kansas. My destination was the Dodge city round-up rodeo and the Miss rodeo Kansas title. My goal was to enter, do well enough to earn the horsemanship award and then come back the next year to earn the title. But as many of us know the best laid plans often fail. i did do well enough to earn the horse-manship award and low and behold the rhinestone lady-in-waiting crown was placed on my hat and the Miss rodeo Kansas 1991 banner across my shoulder. To say i was shocked is an understatement. i had no idea what lay ahead of me for the next nineteen months, this wasn’t in my plan! The Miss rodeo Kansas program, like many others, crowns their titleholder so she has a few months to prepare prior to taking on her official duties on January 1. That time is filled with planning for an excit-ing, upcoming year. Like the majority of lady-in-waiting

titleholders, i attended the Miss rodeo America Pageant to see what was in store for me. While I had flown before this trip, it was the first time for me to fly alone and to get myself to the ho-tel. I do believe it was also the first time i had traveled in a limousine. i felt so fancy and important! The pageant was a whirl wind of activity and i was taking it all in. My reign started on January 1, 1991 and my first appearance was at the Denver national Western stock show and rodeo and the Western and eng-lish sales Association market. My out of state trips included the Dodge na-tional circuit finals rodeo in Pocatello, idaho; cheyenne frontier Days; the Wrangler Jeans showdown in Arizo-na and nebraskaland Days in north Platte, nebraska. The summer months were packed with appearances at ro-deos and a variety of events as i criss-crossed the Kansas landscape. i met

rodeo legends and up and coming stars and many memories that last a lifetime. The date that seemed like it was forever in the future was suddenly right there as i packed my bags and readied for the Miss rodeo America 1992 pageant. This time my mom went with me and it was i who was on the stage. After a week filled with late nights and early mornings, fashion shows, interviews, speeches, impromptu questions, horsemanship and countless wardrobe changes I was named a top-ten finalist. so much has changed in the past twen-ty years, yet so much has remained the same. for a few years following my reign, i didn’t have much to do with rodeo queen pageants. i was asked to coordinate a local pageant and then a regional pageant. When i moved to iowa i became involved with the Miss rodeo iowa program and spent ten years as the national Director to Miss rodeo America.

Since my first trip to Las Vegas, the pageant has become a much bigger spectacle. The mid-week fashion show is amazing! our fashion show was held

My Road to the Miss Rodeo America Pageant

Revisited

right: Bobbie

with her parents in

1991.

In Rodeo


in the conference room and the stage was a set of risers. Today those vying for the prestigious title strut their stuff down a full-fledged catwalk complete with lights and choreographed music. The awards package has increased tremendously and the young wom-an who earns the title of Miss rodeo America can be awarded over $20,000 in scholarship dollars. Today’s titleholders do much more out of state traveling than most of my fel-low titleholders and i did. Trips to Kis-simmee, florida; san Antonio, Texas; rapid city, south Dakota; colorado springs, colorado and Pendleton, or-egon are now the norm and not the exception. of course the clothes have changed. in the early ‘90’s rodeo queen pag-eants were moving away from two and three piece polyester suits and mov-ing into colored Wranglers and sequin tops. Most of our dresses and skirts were cotton and with a “country” or “prairie” style. Leather had started coming into fashion a few years before but was a small part of our wardrobes.

some contestants even wore formal sequined gowns with their boots and hats for coronation in 1991. And the hair! Aqua net was our choice for hairspray and most of us had hair that was as wide, or wider, than the brims of our hats. Today’s rodeo queens are still friends with their hot rollers, but their hair styles are much sleeker.

friendships are forged that truly last a lifetime. young women discover new gifts and talents, perhaps even changing majors and seeking a differ-ent career path. They become self as-sured and develop poise when under

pressure. Their horsemanship skills and knowledge increase. in Decem-ber, twenty-seven young women from across the United states will gather in Las vegas to vie for the title of Miss rodeo America 2012. They have spent all of or the greater part of the past year as a state titleholder traveling and promoting a sport and lifestyle they have a deep love and apprecia-tion for. While only one cowgirl will leave vegas wearing the Landstrom’s Black hills gold crown, each and every one will leave with an experience of a lifetime. As I reflect back to my year as Miss rodeo Kansas there are a few changes i’d have made and certainly a lot of “if i knew then what i know now” thoughts but that year remains one of the most important years of my life. it helped shape who i am today and continues to be a blessing decades later. for any of our young readers who are consid-ering entering a rodeo queen pageant, no matter the level, i say do it! The experiences you have as a contestant and titleholder will leave an indelible positive mark on your life.

“For any of our young readers who are

considering entering a rodeo queen pageant, no

matter the level, I say do it!”~Bobbie hinds

Two seconds after halloween it seems that all the retail stores put up their christmas decorations - trying to capture as much of the holiday market as possible. Typical ways that retail stores use to capitalize on the holidays include extended hours and sales. This is all well and good. Today i want to give you an early present by giving you some novel ways to think about holiday promotions. Many people are fed up with holiday crowds, which is reflected in the growth of online sales and the decline of some traditional retailer’s sales. There also seems to be a trend towards buying fewer gifts, but those gifts tend to be higher-ticket luxury items. in the type of marketing we all should be doing, we start with the customer in mind. What do we know about people this time of year? Time is a commodity - there’s too much to do and too little time. - People have more shopping to do than they usually do. - People are under a tremendous amount of stress. - People tend to clean and decorate their houses. These are just some of the factors affecting people during the holiday season. i’m sure you can think of many more. Take these things into consideration, and take the stance of being a giver. here’s an idea that works great. if you own, say a ranchwear store and you want to bring in more customers, partner up with a local horse training facility. Promote a free training session with some of your larger merchandise that you sell. The horse training facility will also gain exposure and can either give you a discount or include it for free. if you are in the equine business and you train horses or give lessons, you might want to consider giving a free riding lesson or training lesson as a gift around the holidays. give-aways are great. give away free christmas trees - depending on where you are you could buy a couple hundred for $10 a piece. The deal could be - spend $100 and take home a free tree. give away turkeys, or complete turkey dinners - a lot of grocery stores have this promotion.

if you have a business where it’s not going to ruin anything if you bring food in, include some christmas cookies for your customers. There’s

nothing better than old fashioned gingerbread cookies. everybody gives away calendars, aim for something different but still useful. how about ice-scrapers if you live in the north? Blankets, sweatshirts, caps - are all good

promotional items when the weather turns cold. holiday cards are great. People enjoy getting them and displaying them. hardly anybody sends Thanksgiving cards, definitely

consider it. if you have any kind of retail business, think about add-on gifts that might be used as a second gift. Two gifts for the price of one. Buy one get one free offers are great at holiday times.

Use your creativity this holiday season and think about how you can solve your customers’ problems.

New Ideas For Small Business Holiday Marketingby: J D Moore

In Business

give-aways are a great holiday marketing strategy

GinGerbread cookies are a Great Give-away


Jaimie Morris hails from the small town of hooper, Utah. she is a bonofied cowgirl and has lived the

cowgirl lifestyle since she was a small girl. she tells cowgirls in style magazine thatshe has been riding since she was eight years old and training since she was twelve. she is a single mother of one, a six year old son named Kache (named after cash Meyers). he is the love of her life and she tells us that her life is revolved around Kache, her horses and god.

When asked about her sense of fashion, she says she is a “t-shirt and jeans kind of girl.” she loves the new Wrangler rock 47 jeans, BKe, roxy and cinch brands. “i’m a sucker for hair on boots, anything with some bling and i’m also a huge fan of tattoos,” says Jaime.

Jaime owns an equine business called “slid-ing heart Performance horses and sales”.

it is a training, showing and sales of performance horses. generally rodeo horses and work-ing cowhorses.

“I sell horses and find the perfect horse for my clients in a brokerage system.” Jaime says she started training when she was twelve. “i wanted to stand out in the industry. i wanted to be able to grow and learn just as much as my horses.” At sixteen she started teaching lessons, and was performing clinics at age twenty. “My clients become like family to me, and i love it!”

When asked what her business goals were for 2012, she says she’d like to book more clinics. “i love to teach in large groups and watch peo-ple start to understand my teachings. general horsemanship, barrels, poles and Wch clinics are available. i am also working on a christian Ladies clinic.

In Business

Sliding Heart HorsesMeet Jaime Morris owner of sliding heart horses

Business Spotlight

WriTTen By susan gentry

Jaimie MorrisAge: 28

City: Hooper, UtahHorse Trainer|Sales

Company:Sliding Heart Horses

“I wanted to stand out in theindustry, I wanted to be able to grow and learn just as much as my horses.” ~ Jaime Morris


Sliding Heart Performance Horses

Jaime Morris 801-791-8460

[email protected]

Training, show-ing and salesof performance horses.

Above: Jamie working a horse on her ranch. Photo by Debbie Kaisharis Right: Jaime with son Kache. Photo by: Ben AltenesPhotos Opposite page. Top right: Jaime with horse Photo by: Holli Green Middle photo Monty Davis


BEHIND THE CHUTES

FallonTaylor

Age: 29City/State: Whitesboro, TX

Horses Owned: 40+

Pro Barrel Racer/Model/

Business Owner

Fallon Taylor, won her first Pro Ro-deo at the age of 9 and at the age of 13 was among the youngest to ever qualify for the national finals rodeo in Las vegas, ne-vada. it was then that she moved up to second place in the world among peers that were twice her age. fallon went on to qualify

for 3 more National Finals qualifications each year after. At 14, fallon won the largest rodeo in the world, rodeo houston.

fallon retired from full-time rodeo competition at 18 to pursue a model-ing and acting career in new york city and Los Angeles. she started an equine match making ser-vice in 2002 and has been pursuing full time rodeo goals in 2011.

By susan gentry

born and raiSed in Florida, Fallon

watched rodeo For the FirSt time at age

6 and She turned pro at age 7 when

in 1990, She waS the youngeSt proFeS-

Sional barrel racer to belong to the

women’S proFeSSional rodeo

aSSociation.

fallon has been featured in 100’s of newspapers and several magazines. she has been known for her television appearances and has been re-nowned for her interviews. she has been fea-tured in ...

• Teen People Magazine• good housekeeping Magazine• America’s Barrel racer (cover)• Quarter horse Journal• national geographic• Jane Pauley’s Women in rodeo• WB 33• Mademoiselle Magazine• Details Magazine• noise Magazine• D Magazine• showtime/hBo• cowboys & indians Magazine• english & Western Magazine• Wrangler Jeans campaign• circle T campaign• Double h Boots

Find Fallon at www.DynastyHorses.com 52 | cowgirls in style | WINTER 2012

Q’s & A’s

Cowgirls In Style: Where do you live?

Fallon: i now live in Whitesboro, Tx, but i was born and raised in florida.

CIS: What kind of animals do you own?FT: i own over 40 horses, micro mini things, mini pigs, mini ponies, Paydro the rodeo dog, eddie the rodent remover, Bobby the canine ranch manager, some goats, chickens and anything else that walks up. ;)

CIS: Why do you love the country lifestyle?FT: There is nothing better than waking up to a pasture full of animals, friendly neighbors, and peace and quiet.

CIS: What are your hobbies?FT: My hobby, as the luckiest person on earth, is my job.

CIS: What is your favorite place to visit?FT: The next rodeo.

CIS: What is your greatest accomplishment?FT: The next NFR qualification!

CIS: What are your goals?FT: To continue to inspire students, to campaign the horses i have raised and trained myself in ro-deos and let them debut their skills at Las vegas. To continue training horses for clients and making successful matches in the equine industry.

© L

ane

Boot

s

© L

ane

Boot

s


Making a Difference

robin clark has been making a difference in the lives of families for many years as she helps head up the “Coats for Kids Bar-rel Race,” an annual barrel racing competition and coat drive in hilmar, cA. The Coats For Kids is an annual event that has been

going on for the past 30 years, thanks to news 10 in sacramento, cA. “i had gone to the fashion institute in san francisco, cA and was a west-ern clothing buyer for conlin supply when it all began.” clark says. “ i was always looking for a special promotion to bring to our customers. finally in 2004, i was watching news 10 in sacramento, where they talked about how any business could be a drop off point for their annual Coats for Kids Drive.Bingo!!! Although my boss was against it, i talked him into it and he was the one who was instrumental in giving me the idea. in-stead of a ladies night for christmas, we did a Coats For Kids night where people would bring a coat for a coupon of 50% off an item.” “Thinking we would get a few hundred people it ended up being wall to wall a thousand people... it was the best promotion ever! We then carried it over to the barrel race. The first year, sixty girls showed up and last year we had two hundred and forty girls. it is growing every year! it has become a place where the youth have a chance to win a buckle in 3 divisions. Ropers Sports News is the first to sponsor a buckle and donate prizes every year.” “We also do a silent auction where we take the money to two of our sponsors in oakdale and buy coats with the silent auction money. i ran my first marathon in March and both stores promised me $250 in jack-ets if i did it. so, those jackets will end up in the silent auction so we can auction them off to make more money to purchase more coats. it’s all about keeping central california families warm,” says clark. “one lady who has been the backbone of this for clark is Karen Monschein. “she hauls all the prizes, tables, silent auction items, keeps me in line...calmed down.....Karen is a hero. she is the silent hero. she also donates two gorgeous buckles every year and is my right hand.This benefit is my Christmas that day. To see those piles of coats that will help out a needy family tears you up.....A warm feeling comes over you like nothing else i have ever felt.”

Coats For Kids

A Cowgirl who gives of her time to help others

The coats for Kids Barrel race is held every october in hilmar, cA. for more information, go to:www.luckybacres.com

By susan gentry

Top Photo: robin with her dog, zoeyBottom Photo: robin with her horse cooperBelow Left: Barrel racing at the coats for Kids Middle: robin clark sets up right: Piles of coats collected

If you know of someone

who “Makes A Difference”, let us know.


CowgirlsChristmas...

Turn page for Holiday Gift ideas...

One of a kind Custom Chapsellensburg saddle [email protected]*Makers of Miss rodeo America chaps*

Custom Designed Belt Buckle [email protected](800)-222-8689

Custom Designed Belt Buckle [email protected](800)-222-8689

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Original Custom Pursesellensburg saddle [email protected]

Custom decorated boots see more at:w w w . c o w g i r l d i v a z . c o m

Custom made hair on hide with conchos & bling stirrupsw w w. c o w g i r l d i v a z . c o m

Custom Decorated Vegas Cowgirl Necklace www.BuckarooBay.comCowgirl Makeup

Perfect Stocking Stuffers! www.cowgirldirt.com


Give the gift of Native

Elegance...

HandmadeFully Beaded Baby Moccasins. hand-sewn with white deer hide. shoshone Designeach order is custom designed.

Shoshone Designed Barretteshand-sewn with white deer hide and have a durable metal barrette attached.

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www.CowgirlDivaz.comcustom made jewelry for any occasion


ChesterFIeld, IDIn Travel

You can visit the site daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day and each year a grand opening celebration is held on Memorial Day when thousands descend on the village to enjoy lots of great family activities includ-ing wagon rides around the town pulled by horses, butter-making, candle-making, games, a homemade candy sale and an out-door barbeque for lunch.

The Western Wanderervisits Chesterfield, IdahoBy cort flynn

For those of you looking for another out-of-the-way western adventure that you may not have heard of, try Chesterfield, Idaho. Located on the old Oregon Trail between soda springs and Lava hot springs on

Highway 30, Chesterfield is 11 miles north of Bancroft, idaho. Listed on the national register of historic Places, this pioneer community was established about 1881 by a group of Mormon pioneers looking for fertile cattle country. Things didn’t work out and now the mostly ghost town remains. A few years back some of the descendants of the pioneers who established the town organized an association and began raising money, buying up the remaining buildings and beautifully restoring them. This is one of the best restored ghost towns we’ve seen. A handmade brick church has been completely restored. An amusement hall was rebuilt and is now available for dances and family reunions. An original LDS Tithing Office was restored and there are many brick, log and wooden homes that have been restored or are under restoration. open for business is the charming nathan Barlow Log store that is open daily selling handmade crafts, old fashioned candies, drinks and homemade jams and preserves that are all true to the time period and the store keepers can fill you full of old stories of the area. you can visit the site daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day and each year a grand opening celebration is held on Memorial Day when thousands descend on the village to enjoy lots of great family activities including wagon rides around the town pulled by horses, butter-making, candle-making, +games, a homemade candy sale and an outdoor barbeque for lunch.

An added bonus for you history buffs is that the actual oregon Trail runs right through the town and the old-timers in the area can point out the actual ruts left behind by the wagon trains. you may want to make your base about 30 miles south west of Chesterfield in Lava Hot Springs. This quaint but busy little resort town has several hot spring pools, a large soaking pool and a huge swimming pool with a water slide. There are also plenty of motels, rv parking spots and restaurants. See you next time on another western discovery. Keep your nose to the wind!

An added bonus for you history buffs is that the actual Oregon Trail runs right through the town and the old-timers in the area can point out the actual ruts left behind by the wagon trains.


Barn Boutique

The

Barn

Boutique

Welcome to The Barn Boutique where you can ad-vertise your busi-ness at a very afford-able price. contact us today for pricing!

[email protected]

www.HorseBizOnline.com

[email protected]

SINglE, CoUNTRy AND

CHRISTIAN?www.ChristianCountrySingles.com

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