Sometimes when I actually stop--or perhaps the better word is pause--to reflect on what I have been doing, I ask myself if it is what I really want to do with my time. I find myself running from here to there, from this to that. So, here I am in this funky little hotel near the corner of Fairfax and Beverly Blvd. in Los Angeles.  I've just called down to the front desk to ask what checkout time is because as much as I love my home in the incredibly beautiful Carson Valley, it takes being here in this busy city for me to come to a halt. I just need to stop and reflect for a bit.
I love having my business Ruby Rose Cowgirl Clothes. What I enjoy the most is meeting so many incredible women. I love talking with you. I realize that in order for me to be able to keep doing this, I need to keep my business going by working to find you the best stuff I possibly can, manage the expenses so I can keep the doors open, and plan fun events where y'all can come meet each other.  In fact, that last one is something that truly excites me.  For some time now, I have been wanting to organize a "Cowgirl Conference" where a group of us get together to discuss issues that are important to us as women. I believe that there is a cowgirl spirit in all of us whether we ride horses or not.  That cowgirl spirit is having courage and compassion, and being thrilled with life in general along with realizing that no matter what we are confronted with, we can find that strength deep down inside of us to prevail.  I've had some pretty darn big struggles in my life and some day I'll open up more about them.  But I have had those times when I didn't know how I could find the strength to take another step.
Anyway, what I have in mind is seeing if there are some of you out there who would like to get together to talk about women's issues that are important to you.  I see this as an event that will last at minimum 4 to 6 hours. I was thinking of having workshops having to do with physical, mental, and spiritual health. But I want to hear from you.  What are some areas of your "being" that you would like to do some work on? Or perhaps, tell me about how you overcame some difficulties in your life.  What inspired you to keep going?
Feel free to comment to this post, send me an e-mail (kimpcs@yahoo.com), message me on Facebook, or give me a call at the store (775-783-8212).  I plan to have food, too.  We will probably have to have a slight charge then just to cover the food. If you know of a local speaker, please give me their contact info along with topics they specialize in.
I truly look forward to hearing from you.  And in closing, take time for yourself.  Give yourself the gift of reflection no matter where it is.  It could be on the 3rd floor of a funky little hotel near the corner of Fairfax and Beverly Blvd, upstairs from an all night diner where people seemed to be hanging out at til the wee hours.  It could be anywhere--just give yourself time to reflect. It feels good. Trust me!

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Ruby Rose Cowgirl Clothes November Cowgirl of the Month, Pat Rahbeck

By Kim Cervenak

The Cowgirl I have chosen for our November Cowgirl of the Month is a woman I have known for many years and her name is Pat Rahbeck.  In fact, I used to work for Pat and her late husband Spec at their store, The Outdoorsman in South Lake Tahoe, CA.  I remember Pat coming into the store with all of her incredible energy and well, let’s just say, that everyone knew when Pat was in the store.  She was always very kind to me and never once made me feel like I was just an employee of theirs.

There is something I did not know about Pat until I became her neighbor out on Hwy 88 in the Carson Valley, and that is Pat is an incredible horsewoman!  I had so much fun visiting with Pat, seeing her collection of saddles and buckles and talking about horses and ranching.  I could have talked with her for hours.

Kim:  Pat, thank you so much for being our November Cowgirl of the Month. I have known you since I was about 18 years old and little did I know that you were such a horsewoman!  How old were you when you first started riding?

Pat:  I was 2 years old.  I had a little black Shetland pony stud where we lived at our lodge in South Lake Tahoe.  About everybody in Lake Tahoe learned to ride on that horse.  I went to school on that horse where I would tie him to the flag pole.  It was a great way to learn.  He bucked everybody off.  I was always into horses, my dad was into horses.  We just rode. We didn’t do any showing or anything like that.  My dad was the first wagon train master and at that time, you went from Stateline to Placerville.  It was real fun.  And that is how I met Betty Cordes who was also a Reno Rodeo Queen. 

K:  You grew up in South Lake Tahoe?

P:  I moved up there in 1937 and actually came down here (to the Carson Valley) in 6th grade.  We didn’t have a high school in Tahoe so I went to school here, graduated and went on to Business College in Reno. 

K:  And now you own a ranch?

P:  I guess you could call it that, it’s small.  You can’t make a living on it, that’s for sure, on one this size, but I’ve got a great life.  It’s what I like. 

K:  You started showing horses, too?

P:  I started showing and then I got into barrel racing for some years, mostly at Glenbrook when they had the rodeos up there.  At that time, they were using stakes instead of barrels.  Then here in Gardnerville at the old rodeo grounds which used to be in town. I raced there, too.  After that, I went into riding cutting horses.  That’s a “Rich Man’s Sport”. 

K:  How did you do at that?

P:  I did great.  I wasn’t in with the big, big guys, but I won a lot of buckles.  I had a great horse, an awesome horse and if I could ride her, we could win. 

K:  I can’t imagine how that would be.

P:  It is fun! You’ve got to just try it. 

K:  Do you still ride?

P:  Not a lot.  I ride when I have to move cows and we’ve taken some trips up in the mountains to Indian Valley. 

K:  And you were a Miss Reno Rodeo Queen?

P:  In 1955. 

K:  Are you active with rodeo queen organization?

P:  I would like to be in some respect but I don’t have the time. They don’t make it fair anymore.  The kids should have to show in a pair of jeans and a white shirt.  Then get sponsors and buy the pretty clothes.  Some of those girls’ parents can go out and buy a $5000 outfit and then there’s Jane Doe whose mom made her outfit. She doesn’t have a chance and that’s not right.  And she can ride as good as the rest of them.  When we rode, we didn’t have the fancy clothes.  We rode in our jeans and our shirts.  You had to ride what horse they gave you, and you rode your own horse, too.  It was a lot of fun.

K:  You’ve been riding since you were two.

P:  I didn’t ride alone, they led me around.  But by the time I was four, I was probably alone getting bucked off somewhere.  I will always have horses. 

K:  When you ride Pat, how does it make you feel?

P:  I love it.  I absolutely love it.  When I had a bad back and surgeries, I was told that I wouldn’t be able to ride.  You know I felt better when I started riding cutting horses. Snapping my back back and forth kept me loosened up rather than sitting around worrying about a bad back.  I love riding by myself, too.  I can go out riding 20 miles by myself and not see a person and be happy.  It’s my release. 

K:  Well, maybe I can go out with you sometime!

P:  We should. There are so many beautiful rides we can take. 

K:  I’m like you, I don’t have a problem going riding by myself, on the ranch that is.  It is my time.

P:  I’ve got good horses, sure they might try something once in a while, but I’m not afraid that they’ll do something to hurt me.  If I fall off, I fall off. 

K:  Now what about bonding with your horses, how important do you think that is?

P:  I think it is very important.  I’m not one that doesn’t get after them.  If needed, they’ll get in trouble, they don’t get away with it, but when they’re good, they get all my love and attention.  I catch my horses just with a piece of spearmint.  I crinkle the paper and they come over.  But I think that it is important for you to respect them and for them to respect you.  Don’t let them get away with too much because then you’ll lose the respect. 

K:  Since you’ve lived in the Carson Valley you’ve gotten to know a lot of the ranchers in this area.  It seems like a close knit group.

P:  It is a very close knit.  Well, when I was young and would come home from school at night, you could tell who was home by just the lights that were on along Foothill.  Back then, everybody seemed to help everybody.  There were no problems.  We’d be driving cattle down the highway, but I’d hate to go out there now with some cattle. 

K:  I don’t think people are as patient as they were.  They’re in a hurry and instead of being intrigued by the cattle drive, they’re angry, sometimes yell at you, and want you out of the way.  But you all used to help each other?

P:  All of the old families down here are very nice and would help.  Spec was born here. 

K:  You met Spec when?

P:  You won’t believe it.  He met us when I was probably 4 or 5 years old.  We had the Martin Lodge at the Y in Tahoe and he used to deliver milk from the dairy here in town.  He would deliver to my mom.  The first time he met my brother and I, we were in the kitchen in the restaurant pushing my little black Shetland pony up the stairs.  He thought “I’ll never have kids”.  How I got to going out with him was both Spec and my dad were Shriners.  There was a Shrine Party at the top of the Mapes in Reno and I was going but then my dad found out that he couldn’t take a guest.  Spec (who had lost his wife to cancer at 30) suggested that he say I was his date.  We continued dating from then on. Then we got married.

K:   At Ruby Rose our slogan is “Embrace Your Cowgirl Spirit”.  What does “Cowgirl Spirit” mean to you?

P:  Cowgirl and rancher combined.  I’m not just a cowgirl, I’m a rancher too—small time rancher but I can go on the bigger ranches and help. People would help each other, help with all of the animals, and would make it stay “country” which we’re not now.  We’re trying to but it’s hard with the taxes and everything.  My life is about trying to get along. As you know I am not a good example of that because I do have a temper. But it is important to try to get along with the people and enjoy how lucky we are to have these properties and not live in town.  Before you could never go down the road and be pulled off the side when someone didn’t stop and offer to help you.  Now you’re afraid to.  This is just a good wholesome life, but it’s hard to make a living at it. 

K:  Cowgirl Spirit and Rancher, you see that as being combined and it’s about helping each other?

P:  A Real Cowgirl to me is a working cowgirl—like those in my family back in Elko. Those girls are all out there doing the roping and branding alongside their husbands. That’s where I put in the rancher along with the cowgirl—they’re real working cowgirls.  That’s great because they are making a living at it.  All of the family there in the Ruby Valley, they’re wonderful ranchers.  Very few divorces in the family, all making ends meet one way or the other.

K:  So the characteristics of a cowgirl you see is someone who is hard working, someone who enjoys the outdoors, and someone who is there to help others who need it.

P: Most of the people I know are that way.  If you call up and ask us to help move cows, boom you should be right there to help.  It’s not one of those “Maybe not today, maybe tomorrow” kind of thing.  That’s the kind of life I like.

K: Now if a young girl came to you and asked for your advice about riding or being a cowgirl, what would you tell them?

P:  In riding, I would teach her to just ride.  Not about the shows.  Learn how to relax on your horse and enjoy your ride.  Don’t sit with your posture just perfect when you’re going out on your ranch to check cows.  Learn to be part of the horse.  If he jumps, you’re right there with them.  And I don’t care if you think I’m sitting up straight or not.  I’m enjoying my ride and I’m relaxed.  You see all these young girls now that are taking these lesson (and you should have lessons) but I wish these instructors would just teach them how to ride for fun.  You’re not all going to show.  Create that trust with your horse which is bonding with your horse. And I am a believer of when you have foal born, get in there and meet that baby.  I had a halter on my baby when it was a week old.  You have to be able to handle them because what if something happens and you have to get them to the vet.  So, I bond with all of the babies.  They learn to respect you, too.  It starts there.

K:  If a gal wants to get started riding, you’d tell her just get out there and ride, relax, don’t be worried?

P:  She’ll need help.  If you’ve got some major problems, you can always work around it without making it seem like such a difficult thing. Get your foundation down first and relax. Then go on other things. Basically learn to enjoy the ride. 

 K:  You love your horses?

P:  Uh Huh, I love my horses, I love my ranch—most of the time (chuckle).  It’s a lot of work but I love it (with a big smile).

K:  Pat, thank you so much for talking with me.  I’ve really enjoyed it and look forward to talking more----and riding of course.

P:  Well, thank you. I’ve enjoyed it, too.  Let’s ride!

Ruby Rose October Cowgirl of the Month
Miss Rodeo Nevada 2011, Ann Clemmitt
By Kim Cervenak

I am so very proud to announce that our Ruby Rose October Cowgirl of the Month is Miss Rodeo Nevada 2011, Ann Clemmitt. 

Kim:  Thank you for being our October Cowgirl of the Month.  I am truly honored! 

Ann:  I am excited that you guys wanted to have me!

Kim:  Always, we are curious about your riding!  How long have you been riding horses?  

Ann:  I got started at a younger age.  I always wanted to have a horse but my family lived in the city so we didn’t have any room for horses.  My aunt lived out in Fallon at the time, and she had lots of horses.  The big treat for my sister and I for the summer was we got to go out to stay with my aunt and uncle because then we would get to ride the horses. That got the bug planted.  I think my mom and dad realized that we were very serious about horse riding lessons when we decided to give up gymnastics which was once a week to take a horse lesson every other week.  Once we started riding at the stable we became involved in 4H.  Then we were mucking stalls in exchange for lessons so we could ride once a week.  It just kind of snowballed.

K:  Do you have a certain discipline that you like to do?

A:  I’ve done a little bit of everything.  I grew up doing 4H, riding English, doing showmanship, then we switched to Western. I’ve done Trail, Pleasure, and Equitation so I have that showing background.  When I was in college I started showing in the International Collegiate Horse Show Association where I did Western and English.  Showing was a big part of my life.  In 2005, I started on the Reno Rodeo Flag Team, both me and my sister.  Ever since then, rodeo became my interest.

K:  You grew up in Reno?

A:  I went to McQueen High School where we never heard the words “High School Rodeo” so my sister and I did the Flag Team instead.  I remember the first time that we were in the arena, I was excited and nervous. I saw Tonya Heinrich riding as the outgoing Miss Reno Rodeo. She passed the crown over to Kristina Spitale. I just remember being in awe of her, her horsemanship ability, her beauty, she was just so wonderful to watch. I decided that was what I wanted to do.

K:  How old were you then?

A:  I was 17. But, I waited to run for my first queen title until I was 20 because I just didn’t feel that I was ready financially and because it involves a lot of studying. I didn’t think I was ready to present myself quite yet. 

K:  Another question I like to ask cowgirls, how does it make you feel when you ride? 

A: I think that it is every cowgirls’ dream to be out in the mountains and have that stillness of just you and your horse . . . maybe the sunrise, or you have your dog with you, there is nothing more peaceful than that.  But one of my favorite things this year about being horseback is when I am in a rodeo arena warming up, kids stop me and ask me for my autograph.  Horseback, I get to make these kids happy because you know all they want is a little picture with my signature on it.  It makes their day so for me to be able to do that and be horseback—what could be better? 

K: Being on horseback not only makes you feel peaceful, but it is also your connection with people and little kids especially?

A:  Absolutely.  The arena at the Reno Rodeo is one of my favorite arenas because you are right there next to the box seats. I just enjoy visiting with everybody in the seats.  When Miss Reno Rodeo and I were in the arena this year, we would take turns getting the cattle so then we could just visit with everyone.  That was just so much fun because I got to meet the people.  Some were from Reno, some weren’t, some had never seen a rodeo before and we could explain the events.  It was a great way to connect with the audience—not just with kids but with a lot of people of varying ages. 

K:  That’s nice because it makes it more real for people.  You are approachable and that is so nice.

A:  I hope so.  I hope I can inspire one young lady at some point along this year to decide that maybe she wants to be a rodeo queen because being a rodeo queen isn’t just about looking beautiful and riding.  There is so much more that goes into it.  You have to study, you have to be able to speak in public, as you heard at my fund raiser. 

K:  I was truly impressed with how you answered the questions.  On your feet, you answered and it just showed me the type of person you are at your core. 

A:  To me, those are skills I learned while I was preparing to be a rodeo queen. They’re not just skills I am using this year, these are skills that I will use for the rest of my life. 

K:  Absolutely. If you had a little girl come up to you and ask you what to do to become a rodeo queen, what would you tell her?

A:   First of all, I would tell her to ride as much as she can because you can learn rodeo and it is obviously ideal if you grow up doing it but I didn’t.  I learned it. Ride as much as you can. The more you ride, the more natural it becomes and as a queen, you do spend a good portion of your time horseback.  You never know what kind of horse you are going to get because you don’t take your own horse to these rodeos.  You ride stock contractor horses for the most part.  You could get on an ex-bucking horse, for all you know.  It has happened. 

K:  Do you use your own saddle?

A:  Nope.  When you are a State Queen, you travel and it is not practical unless you are driving but even then you’ve got your 10 boxes of boots, hats, clothes, make-up, and rollers.  The only thing I travel with is my spurs.  Being able to handle situations like that (riding an ex-bucking horse) will be easier if you have been riding a long time or if you’ve ridden on a lot of horses.  So, ride as much as you can, and ride as many types of horses as you can.  Stay connected in the rodeo, whether you volunteer, whether you ride on the Flag Team, there’s a myriad of ways to get started and decide if it’s really what you want to do.  But riding and knowing rodeo inside and out, those are the two things to know. The other things, you can learn as you go along your journey. 

K:  I am sure you have to stay physically fit.  Do you have a sort of fitness regime?

A:  Yes, it’s funny because I thought that I would gain weight this year doing a lot of travelling but I have done just the opposite, I’ve actually lost weight.  When you are travelling, you are running around like a “bat out of hell”.  They usually have you on an early morning radio interview at 6am.  That means you have to be at the station at 6am. You’re up by 4 am to get your hair and make-up done and have a cup of coffee. Then most rodeo performances don’t get over til 10 or 11pm.  And if you have an autograph signing party, well heck, you might not be in bed til 1am.  It really wears on you so it is really important to take care of yourself. 

K:  Well, you look great!  Your pageant is where and when?

A:  As Miss Rodeo Nevada, I am obligated to go on and compete for Miss Rodeo America.  That will be in December in conjunction with the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.  I am so excited because it is a dream that I have had for a long time.  Every day that I get dressed and put on the crown and my hat, I still look in the mirror and think “Is this really happening?”  Am I going to wake up one morning to find out it is just a dream?  For me to get to go to Las Vegas and compete for Miss Rodeo America is just beyond words exciting.  I’ve made some phenomenal friends this year.  I’m looking forward to going down to Las Vegas and sharing this awesome week with them because as a Rodeo Queen, everything is going to happen to everyone—you’re gonna have a zipper break, your hair is not going to look perfect, you might have lipstick on your teeth.  For me it is going to be an opportunity to make some really good memories and be supportive of the other girls, too. 

K:  Your reign as Miss Rodeo Nevada ends when?

A:  Hopefully in December.

K:  Of course, after you win Miss Rodeo America!

A:  If that doesn’t happen, I will give up my crown in April at the Clark County Fair next year. 

K:  At Ruby Rose Cowgirl Clothes our motto is “Embrace Your Cowgirl Spirit!”  What does “Cowgirl Spirit” mean to you?

A:  I think that if anybody thinks about a cowgirl, they think of someone that’s wearing western boots, jeans, shirt and hat.  But I don’t think that being a cowgirl is defined by something so superficial.  I think you can be a cowgirl and not ride horses. There are so many attributes that make up a cowgirl.  It is not just about the clothes you wear or whether you ride.  It is about who you are and what you believe.  I think cowgirls believe in a handshake as a contract.  They don’t need to “sign no stinking paper”.  They’ll shake your hand and look you in the eye and that’s a deal to them.  To me that’s “Cowgirl Spirit”.  You don’t have to dress like a cowgirl.  You can look at some businesswoman and she can be just as much a cowgirl as me. 

K:  Real, to the core, honest . . .

A:  And genuine in the values that the western way of life believes in.  And family is everything.  We are nothing without our family.  Family first is huge and being able to believe that and keep that as your guiding principle as you are going about life and trying to be successful. I think looking out for everybody’s best interest, too.  This is a cut-throat, very competitive world.  I think competitiveness is good, but there is a point where you have to realize that we are all neighbors.  We might be sharing this huge planet earth but at the end of the day, we are all neighbors.  We all need to be helping each other fix our fence posts, watching out for each other’s livestock, because at the end of the day, that’s what we’ve got!

K:  Well, thank you so much.  It is really a pleasure talking with you and we wish you the best of luck at the Miss Rodeo America Pageant in Las Vegas this December.  We will be cheering you on!  You are truly an amazing woman and again I am honored that you are our Ruby Rose October Cowgirl of the Month.

If there are ways that you readers would like to help our Miss Rodeo Nevada, please feel free to contact us at Ruby Rose (775-783-8212) and we’ll pass the contact information on to you!  We should all feel honored to have such an incredible woman represent our fine State of Nevada at the Miss Rodeo America Pageant!

This is the Golden Rule, isn't it?  Often times, which seems to be alot lately, I find myself rushing around trying to accomplish everything on my "list".  Like just yesterday, Haley and I are going 100 mph getting ready for the Snaffle Bit Futurity which starts on Saturday.  I'm sewing and following up on last minute orders of product we need.  Haley is out getting all the supplies, painting,  and pricing.  And I'm sitting at the sewing machine trying to focus on what I doing when Tony (the man who works on our ranch--an amazing person) walks in and starts to visit with me.  Tony is the kind of person who never says "No" to me.  He always helps me with whatever I need.  So here he is wanting to visit and I'm thinking "I don't have time for this" and I continue sewing while he's talking, occasionally I glance over my shoulder to let him know that I am listening when all of a sudden I said to myself "STOP KIM".  Turn around and listen.  Here is this man who is always there for me.  Give Tony the 5 or 10 minutes of your time and listen to what he has to say!  I did it!  Not only did I feel better for showing Tony the respect he deserved, I felt better because I needed a break.  I needed time to just visit for a few minutes.  Laugh a little.  But mostly, I needed to treat Tony as I would have wanted to be treated. 
I am going to try to do this.  I promise!  I know there will be times when I slip up and hopefully it won't be with "YOU".  But I will truly try my darndest to "Treat others as I want to be treated!"

                              
Shortly after I opened my store, a woman came in, introduced herself, and told me about her publication, Horse Tales.  Little did I know that Sharon would become a sort of mentor for me.  I remember asking all kinds of questions about the horseworld of Northern Nevada.  Through Sharon, I learned a ton.  That’s why I would now like to pay tribute to Sharon by naming her our September Cowgirl of the Month. 

Last week, Sharon and I got together for a nice chat.  I was surprised to hear her say that this was the first time she had ever been interviewed.  Through our conversation, I learned about Sharon’s mother who was a huge inspiration to her.  Raised as an only child, Sharon’s mom worked hard by “cowpunching”, growing hay, and living the hard life as a cowgirl.  But, Sharon’s mom wanted more for her little girl than she had had living on a ranch in California so she and her daughter moved to the big city of San Francisco where Sharon was fortunate to be exposed to the culture a city has to offer.  Even though she was being raised a “city girl” there was still that little “cowgirl” inside her—bred into her you might say. Here’s a little of the visit we had:

Kim:  Even though you grew up in the city, did you have a chance to ride?

Sharon:  Yes, in the summers my mom would take me out to the ranch because I begged her.  If my mom couldn’t take me up to Benton and Loyalton where the ranch was, my step father would. My family still owns the home ranch in Benton, the Dotta Ranch.  They raise cattle, black angus and hereford.  The ranch is where my whole horse thing came from.

I remember as a little kid my mom would read me books about horses.  That’s all I wanted to know about.  I didn’t want to know about Dick and Jane.  I just wanted to read books like Black Beauty, or about cowboys and that way of life.  My heroes were those who were on TV or at the movies at the time—Roy Rogers, Hop Along Cassidy, all those guys.  They all had beautiful horses.  Actually their horses were more important to me than they were.  Trigger, Buttermilk, and Silver were my heroes.  I just thought they were grand. I thought that without their horses, the cowboys would be nothing.  I was fascinated with horses, fascinated with the cowboy culture.  My mother brought a lot of that to the table because that was her life.  Living in the city, I got a cross section of two kinds of cultures, and I am glad now.  I didn’t like it when I was young-living in the city.  I wanted to move back to where my mother came from, to live on the ranch.  But in fact living in San Francisco and that culture at the time was the best thing that could’ve happened to me because I had a good education, became interested in photography and had I not lived there, I wouldn’t have gotten that. 

K:  Exposure to that was vital to your growing years.

S:  And there was always that dream to get my children out of San Francisco.

K:  Your children were born there?

S:  Yes, but at tender age I got them out of there.  The first thing we did when we got to Reno was work to get our finances together and after about a year, we bought a place in Washoe Valley so we could have horses.  Both of my kids were raised around horses starting out as a lot of kids do in 4H and the small saddle clubs.  From there we got into some very high quality Quarter Horses and Appaloosas and that is what we raised.  We also for a time raised Morgans and we went to the big A Morgan shows along with our Appis and Quarter Horses.  We had way too many horses (said with a chuckle).  My daughter took off with the horses and my son with motorcycles.  We supported both of them in what they wanted to do because we knew that was important.  Then I started raising horses for a living.  I wanted to do it seriously and we got into some very high end Appaloosas and Quarter Horses.  We then started traveling.

K:  Did you show?

S:  Yes.  And after my divorce that was my job and my business.  We had what was called Incorporated Ranch in Washoe Valley.  I had probably 45 head of high quality Appaloosa and Quarter Horses brood mares that I bred to Appaloosa stallions.

K:  Do you ever want to do that again?

S:  I did for a while but I don’t think I could handle that anymore.  Got hurt a lot.  We raised Halter Horses and my daughter rode the Performance Horses.  I showed Halter and promoted the young horses because you could get a lot of money for a really loud colored, well-built Appaloosa yearling or even a weanling.  It was a good business.  Then I started showing for other people.  We went down the road with probably 8 horses.  We had a first string and a second string.

K:  My goodness.

S:  The first string would go on the winter run.  We were on the road all the time.  We got those horses qualified, then brought them home, rested them, and bred the stallion and mares.  We’d show locally our 2nd string--just getting them ready and used to the whole show circuit thing.  Several of them would prove to be national quality so we’d bring them out to get them ready for the next winter run. 

K:  In the Appaloosa world?

S:  Yes.  We’d show Worlds and Nationals all year—all the big shows all over the United States and Canada.

K:  That’s incredible.

S:  I probably had several world champions both geldings and stallions.  It was a business, my livelihood.  I had the big rigs and big dualies at the time. That was my business. 

K:  Along the way you became very interested in Western Memorabilia.

S:  I always have been collecting bits, spurs, and saddles. My first interest goes back to my childhood and that was with Will James.  He was always first and foremost in my mind.  I had all of his books.  I have several first editions—a couple signed ones in my collection.  This is something I really enjoy doing.  It is nothing I can say that I have turned into a business.  It is more of a hobby.  I have bought and sold but for the most part I really just enjoy finding it and for a time having it then selling it. 

K:  Do you have it throughout your house? 

S:  All over the house.   Mostly I have westernart.  I enjoy that too however as I get older I find that stuff isn’t really what I am into.  I love to belong to the Will James Society because we do a very fine thing in that we gift books to libraries and to schools.  Will James wrote 34 books and probably 20 of them are very appropriate for children and teenagers.  Kids just love his books.  Through the Will James Society, it is our job to make the books available to as many schools, as many libraries as we can.

K:  Tell me a little about Will James.

S:  He was born in Canada and he actually lied about how he got started.  He invented himself and then became that character he invented.  But he did become that person, so you can’t call his life a lie.  He just reinvented who he was.  He spent a lot of time in Montana. He cowboyed, that was his dream to become a working cowboy.  So here, going back to the horses was a really big deal to him.  He became a pretty darn good cow hand.  He also liked to do a little bit of rodeo.  He was an artist, too—a self taught artist.  A lot of people called him an illustrator.  But for instance, the first Reno Rodeo was called the Reno Roundup.  1917

K:  Like the Pendleton Roundup?

S: Yes and Will James was the first person commissioned to do the first poster.  So if you can find one of those, you’ve really got something. 

K:  Do you have one?

S:   I do.  A copy of one.  I know several collectors and artist who do.  Will James played a big part of my wanting horses because I read his books and a big part in understanding how a cowboy functioned out on the range.  What was important to him, how he felt about his horse, how he felt about the cattle, and the critters he came upon.  Will James was very good at describing all of that.  You could just close your eyes and be there.  That’s how well he wrote.  A lot of the jargon is cowboy jargon, he doesn’t write proper English, it is truly the way they spoke back then.  The bad side of that is that he had a drinking problem and perhaps he had this problem was because he was always afraid that he was going to be found out.  He married a lady in Reno settled in Washoe Valley and his cabin is still there up on Franktown Road.  One of his most famous books that just really made me love horses to the point where I dreamed and lived it from when I was little clear into my teenage years  was “Smoky The Cowhorse”.  There are several movies back in the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s 3 movies made from that book.

We have ranches in this valley where he cowboyed.  As a matter of fact at the Corley Ranch, there’s an ole sheep shed where he put his brand.  He worked all the way down Walker, Coleville and into Bishop. 

K:  You are so knowledgable about so much in the horseworld.  I learn something from you every time we talk.  Well, I have to say that you have “Cowgirl Spirit”.  What does Cowgirl Spirit mean to you?

S:  I think Cowgirl Spirit would mean a woman who understands the land, what it means to us, the freedom of being to grow your crops and your cattle and live in harmony with all the creatures.  She understands what it means to keep a ranch and being a part of an agricultural situation and understanding that it needs space and freedom.  I think she would feel like I do about horses, we wouldn’t even be here without them.  That’s how important the horse is to our culture.  Everything you see around us somehow, someway came by equine.  That’s how we got here, how we settled here.  That’s how all of these ranches got started.  All the things the settlers brought in here came on the backs of or from being pulled by horses, mules or oxen.  Cowgirl Spirit is appreciating, relishing and loving the horse for his contribution to our lives.  So, I think Cowgirl Spirit means that all these things work together.  You can’t be a cowgirl without a horse and a horse needs a cowgirl!  I think that the cowgirl spirit is alive and well and thriving.  I’m glad that somehow, in some way I am connected to it. 

K:  There’s something about women and horses.

S:  They seem to connect.  Women seek horses and horses warm up to women quickly. 

K:  Sharon, thank you so much. This has so exciting to talk with you. You are an amazing woman.  It has really been a pleasure getting to know you these past few years.  I’ve appreciated all the support you’ve given me.  Thank you!

S:  Thank you!

Unfortunately, this is only a touch of the talk I had with Sharon, but if you have a minute sometime, give her a call, stop and have a cup of coffee or a glass of wine because Sharon is an incredible woman!