As a fourth-generation Devils Tower Country raised cowgirl, my life has revolved around agriculture and the Western lifestyle.
My great-grandfather settled in the shadows of Devils Tower, near Hulett, Wyoming, in the early 1900s and established a successful ranching operation running Hereford cattle. Our family has a deep history in Crook County, and I’m proud of those roots that have been my foundation. Growing up, I learned to appreciate the rural lifestyle. As I got older, I realized how special the place I call home is, but like many, I was eager to explore all that the world had to offer. Now as I’ve traveled much of the U.S., I’ve found that there is no place else in the world like Devils Tower Country. I love that I call this unique part of the world my home.
Being immersed in agriculture and the Western way of life paved the way for me to find my passion. Now I am using that passion to do what I love as a career. The community I was raised in has pushed me to be where I am. I’m thankful that growing up with values like hard work, honesty, and integrity are helping me with my career. Being involved in a working ranch and a community that provided opportunities for youth to rodeo gave me a love for all things agriculture and rodeo from when I was big enough to sit in front of my mom or dad and hold the saddle horn.
The influence and encouragement of the community has encouraged me to pursue my goals in the arena and given me a chance to promote the Western Lifestyle. Through rodeo, I have visited a vast majority of the western half of the U.S. There are so many beautiful places that I’ve traveled through, but there isn’t anywhere else that has the history, tourism, and community like Crook County. Now, in my third year as a professional breakaway roper at the age of 26, I can see that a lot of what has shaped me into choosing rodeo as my career has had to do with where I was raised. I’ve learned what a unique place Crook County is, and I am so blessed to call it home.
Growing up in the shadows of Devils Tower gave me grit and resilience. That has helped me on the rodeo road. The non-stop hustle of rodeo gives its athletes daily challenges, but lucky for me, I grew up in a place that helped me prepare for those challenges. As many know, Wyoming can provide some tough weather conditions regardless of season. Living in Devils Tower Country, you must be prepared to handle the ever-changing conditions. The same goes for a rodeo. I wanted to be successful in rodeo growing up, and now as a professional, I have the grit to get the work done no matter the conditions. I’ve seen good times and bad in our rural community as I've grown. I’ve witnessed the people's resilience to keep their livestock healthy, businesses running, and the community held together in all types of conditions and economies. Watching them keep pushing no matter what has inspired me to apply that same resilience to my rodeo career when things may not go how I want. You never know when the rain might start pouring down, the hard times will turn around, and business will start booming.
While the topography and geology of Devils Tower Country attract people to visit, it’s the people of this area that make them want to stay. I may move away in the future, but I can promise this will always be home.