“Sometime the best cowboys aren’t cowboys at all.” Garth Brooks
I once heard someone say that women aren’t really allowed to rope at brandings where they are from. To each their own, I guess, but boy did the hair on my neck bristle. We’d be lost in this country without our cowgirls. They rope, they wrestle, they vaccinate, they tally, they brand, they castrate, they cook, they swath, they rake, they bale, they fence, they do bookwork, they go to workshops, they fight fire, they haul cattle, they tag calves, they doctor cattle, they pull calves, they fix tanks, they check water, they drive equipment, they raise kids, they get involved in their community, they train cow dogs, they take care of the insurance, they schedule cattle working days, they call the vet, they make grazing plans, they design water systems, they work with FSA and NRCS, they spray weeds, they mechanic, they weld, they build greenhouses and grow food, they collect eggs, they milk cows, they feed hay, they feed cake, they plow snow, they chop ice. I could keep going. And going. And going.
Women are a valuable part of our ranching operations. They are stubborn, strong willed, hard headed, yet graceful, feminine, and compassionate. You don’t find these kind of women anywhere else. I am proud of all the cowgirls I know, and it is a long list!
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