Kathryn Kusner is an American equestrian and Olympic medalist in show jumping. She was one of the first women who rode for the United States Equestrian Team (USET) and the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in equestrian competition. Concurrent to her show jumping career, Kusner embarked on the chance to be a...
Raised in a government housing project in a partially rural area of Los Angeles, Mayisha always had a passion for animals, especially horses. After becoming a successful real estate broker, she found a place in a little-known agricultural area of Compton called Richland Farms and decided to move her family there. She soon established her...
When Collins moved to Los Angeles in the late 1980s, she arrived with no resources besides her talent, work ethic, and a passion to paint what had inspired and sustained her throughout her childhood: the soul of the horse. During a difficult upbringing, Collins found her greatest teacher in a disabled horse named Chief. He...
A skilled trick rider, Roman rider and jumper, and jockey, Ommert toured the world with Wild West shows. She acted as a stunt double in Hollywood movies such as the 1954 picture, “A Star is Born,” and landed contracts for performances at Madison Square Garden and Boston Garden. After she retired from trick riding, Ommert...
Known as the “Cowgirl of the Typewriter,” Frances Kavanaugh Hecker was one of the few women writing western screenplays in Hollywood, a primarily male-dominated profession. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up around ranching in Houston which gave her what she called “the feeling of Westerns.” Her credits began with the Driftin’ Kid in 1941,...
In the spirited world of reined cow horses, Sandy Collier is a respected competitor. Her career and love of horses began on the East Coast as an English rider; this evolved into her current passion and career. Collier is the first and only woman to win the National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) World Champion...
Beverly Sparrowk, a champion barrel racer during the 1960s, became a leading cattle rancher and conservationist. She was director of the Girl’s Rodeo Association in 1972 and the first female president of the Foundation Beefmaster Association. She won the Chuck Yeager Award from the National Fish and Wildlife Association and continues to be recognized as...
Audrey O’Brien Griffin lived the cowgirl life with tenacity, generosity and passion. Before raising her family, Audrey was a member of the famous Flying Valkyries, a roman riding group in the 1950s and also worked in a Wild West show that traveled to Belgium. After her children were grown, her love for equestrian sports took...
As an accomplished barrel racer, horsemanship clinician and four-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier, Sharon made her mark on rodeo history as one of the select few women to co-announce the prestigious Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. This Intercollegiate and Women’s Professional Rodeo champion is a passionate equestrian educator and teaches thousands of students how to...
