National Day of the Cowboy

I had the honor of being asked to help with a fun media event that Wrangler hosted during Cheyenne Frontier Days in celebration of their 75 years as a brand honoring the legacy of the West. They welcomed several publications from diverse backgrounds such as Esquire, Rolling Stone, Cosmopolitan, and Harper’s Bazaar just to name a few. The idea was to immerse them in the cowboy spirit, drive brand awareness, and promote interest during National Day of the Cowboy. Their itinerary included a behind the chutes tour of Cheyenne Frontier Days, of course the rodeo, great food and fellowship, and then an afternoon of horseback riding, roping, and ATV exploring. The day was topped off with live music by American singer-songwriter, Stephanie Quayle from Bozeman, Montana. It does not get much more western than this!
Our intern, Lindsey Fancher who was Larimer County Queen in 2019 came with her expertise in helping educate the media about horses, safety, general care, and basic horsemanship. Each person had their turn riding horses around the arena with professional photos taken to capture the new cowboys and cowgirls, while taking turns having their picture taken horseback. I believe they thoroughly enjoyed the experience and it will be something they remember forever. We are so fortunate to live the western lifestyle it’s hard to comprehend how many people live surrounded by skyscrapers, subways, and lights 24/7. Overhearing one reporter’s comments, the one that stood out to me was, “I need more of this in my life,” referring to wide open spaces, the smell of green grass, horses, and Wrangler jeans! Before the evening was over, the journalist was back out in the pasture riding on her own, soaking up the western sunset.
My takeaway from this opportunity was an overwhelming feeling of being blessed and not taking any of it for granted. We all miss in the short go, our horses get sick, and sometimes we aren’t sure how we’ll afford to feed our animals during a drought. But each day we get to swing a leg over a horse and it is indeed a good day. I’m so thankful to have been part of such a great event and I truly believe it’s a step in the right direction – keeping our western heritage alive and well!