The cowgirl spirit converges with the power of nature at the Cowgirl Hall of Fame's Cowgirl Spring Roundup hosted by the Resort at Paws Up.
I touched down in Missoula on Thursday afternoon, just as the bitter morning wind gave way to a gentle snow flurry. The Missoula Montana Airport was quiet, housing a natural flow of visitors without ever seeming to get clogged. The cheery vignette of a slow-moving airport with sunlight streaming in was complemented by the waving of two friendly strangers with signs that read Cowgirl Spring Roundup attracting a pool of Western women around them.
Luggage was collected — hat boxes, saddle bags, boot carriers. The familiar scent of leather and travel followed us to the shuttle cars as we took our seats and began our journey to a weekend of unknown wonders.
As the shuttle pulled away from the airport and made its way westward toward the mountains the friendly chatter began — the chatter of cowgirls. Women from all walks of life reaching out to one another in gentle curiosity. So where are y’all from? How long was y’all’s flight? Have you been up to Montana before? Those are some good looking Luccheses. Arizona, Austin, Philadelphia, Colorado, D.C. Dots on the map began to connect as the participants of the Cowgirl Hall of Fame’s 2023 Spring Cowgirl Roundup traded pleasantries on their way to a weekend of adventure.
The rolling hills of Missoula spiked to mountains and valleys with rivers threading throughout as we inched closer to our destination. A sharp right brought us to a rustic paradise tucked away within the trees — large cabins breathing smoke from their fireplaces, stables filled with freshly groomed horses, twisting trails leading to treasure troves of luxury living, and, best of all, plenty of wiggle room. We were here. The last best place, the sign above the driveway read, as we pulled through the gates of the Resort at Paws Up.
A full display of Montana’s breathtaking scenery on the property of the Resort at Paws Up.
Since 1975, the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame and Museum has been dedicated to uplifting the voices of women who shape the West. Through educational programs, philanthropy, and research initiatives, the Cowgirl Hall of Fame is slowly revising the “how the West was won” narrative by putting the spotlight back on the women who were previously erased from history.
This effort does not end with historical preservation, however. For nearly a decade, the Cowgirl Hall of Fame has welcomed cowgirls from across the country for a weekend of relaxation, self-discovery, and camaraderie at the Resort at Paws Up, a luxury ranch resort nestled in the mountains of Greenough, Montana. This powerful partnership has produced a tradition unlike any other. With Cowgirl Hall of Famers in attendance to share their knowledge and wisdom with their fellow attendees, the Cowgirl Roundup offers a unique learning component to an already-impeccable package.
After being greeted at Paws Up’s Reception Barn by a whirlwind of enthusiasm and joy from members of the staff alongside the Cowgirl Hall of Fame event coordinators, we were given time to settle into our new lodgings before our first group activity — the Baroness Dinner. One by one, the cowgirls were shuttled across the gorgeous property until we each found ourselves standing on our respective back porches staring in awe at the Montana paradise that sat idle in our new backyards. Mountains blanketed with snow pierced holes through the clouds as we sat marveling at our new accommodations.
A ranch hand of the Resort at Paws Up cares for horses as snow begins to fall.
The first event of the weekend took place in Paws Up’s party barn, a modern rustic event space complete with traditional Americana décor, a fully stocked bar, and plenty of dancing room. A photo backdrop sat ready for cowgirls to snap a picture with their new friends under a neon sign that read INSPIRE, the weekend's slogan. Women congregated, cowgirl hats bobbing across the barn. Laughter filled the room, mixing with the music and gentle whistle of the wind. A tall blond woman in a black Resistol hat sidled up to the bar sipping on Ranch Water. We found ourselves swept up in a pleasant conversation, commenting on how new we were to colder temperatures this time of year. I asked her what she did for a living. The woman gave a sheepish smile before replying, “I'm a stock contractor and rodeo producer up in Colorado.” My ears turned a bright shade of red as I realized I had just casually conversed with Cowgirl Hall of Fame Honoree Kirsten Vold.
The merriment continued as we were ushered upstairs to exquisitely set dinner tables facing a screen reading WELCOME TO THE COWGIRL SPRING ROUNDUP. As the cowgirls took their seats and dug into the chef’s evening specials, Nadine Lipson, owner of the Resort at Paws Up and winner of the 2022 Cowgirl Hall of Fame’s Fern Sawyer Award, stood to greet and welcome the cowgirls. “This weekend has become one of the most inspiring events we host here,” she said. “I am so grateful for the Cowgirl Museum’s contribution to the industry.”
Matching Lipson’s enthusiasm was Cowgirl Hall of Fame associate executive director Diana Vela, who rose next to introduce the Cowgirl Museum. “I studied a lot of women in literature in college,” Vela said. “And the biggest thing I noticed was the lack of representation of women from the West. And that is part of the Cowgirl Museum’s mission, to tell the stories of the women of the West. And we are a part of that history.”
Nadine Lipson (right), owner of the Resort at Paws Up and recipient of Cowgirl Hall of Fame’s 2022 Fern Sawyer Award, chats with an attendee of the Cowgirl Spring Roundup (left).
The time had come to introduce ourselves. We were instructed to provide our name, profession, and superpower. Yes, we were instructed to reflect on what makes us more than human. What is your superpower? One by one, the microphone was passed to each cowgirl and a slice of their life was given. Ranchers, breeders, veterinarians, veterans, lawyers, filmmakers, nurses, mothers — all professed their greatest strength to the crowd. “My superpower is my ability to make stuff happen,” said Jackie Kecskes, head rancher of Paws Up. “My superpower is my curiosity,” said Cythnia Matty-Huber, director and cinematographer of Barbara Van Cleve's upcoming documentary. Each introduction received a thunderous applause as a room of strangers melted into one cohesive group of women.
A white-haired cowgirl stood for her turn. The room went silent as each cowgirl turned to face Barbara Van Cleve, world-class Western photographer and 1995 Cowgirl Hall of Fame Honoree. At 88 years old, she spoke with the strength and enthusiasm of a child as she answered the prompt and began to open up her life to her new friends.
“What I try to do with my photography is keep women alive and tell women’s stories,” Van Cleve said. “I believe ranching is the best way of life, and if I can inspire people to take a look at horses as partners and not tools, then I’ve done what God needs me to do.” As she spoke about her love of horses and the “classic way of ranching,” the crowd sat entranced, soaking in her every word. As she concluded her thoughts, Van Cleve raised her glass to her peers, shouting, “How wonderful ranching is, how wonderful my life was, how wonderful it is to be here, and how wonderful Paws Up is for having us here.” The applause erupted once more as the women raised their glasses to a night of inspiration.
The daughter of a Montana ranching family spanning generations, Barbara Van Cleve got a hold of her first camera at age 11. “A Brownie box camera,” she states proudly. Running around her family’s Lazy K Bar ranch, established in 1880, with a children’s camera gave rise to her desire to depict the West as it truly was — filled with hardships, tradition, and beauty.
Barbara Van Cleve at the Resort at Paws Up (courtesy of the Resort at Paws Up).
While working as a rancher on her family’s property, Van Cleve continued to develop her photography technique. She received her M.A. in English literature at Northwestern University and began teaching classes in literature and photography at esteemed universities such as DePaul, Loyola University, and Mundelein College. However high she rose in the ranks of academia, she always made sure to make her way home to Lazy K Bar ranch to run the corral program.
“I like to think of my photos as human-scapes and not landscapes,” Van Cleve says. While a breathtaking landscape can often be spotted in many of her photographs, it is her favorite animal that usually pulls the focus. “I’m a believer in horses,” she says. “I’m a believer that a horse is not a tool, but a friend.” Another main feature of her photography is the traditional way of ranching. “I just got into photography because I wanted people to know how wonderful ranching was,” she says, making sure to distinguish her definition of ranching from the modernized way of ranching that relies more on machinery than ranchers.
Horse Whispering: Carol, A Woman’s Touch, 1996, Barbara Van Cleve.
“When I was a kid, your handshake was much more solid than a piece of paper. That’s the way of life I remember fondly and want to capture.” And, just as promised, many of Van Cleve’s photographs seem to capture a way of life slowly fading away but not yet forgotten, with intentionally blurry images that seem to be in motion, suggesting the constant ebbing and flowing of the rancher’s life.
Since the opening of her first major photo exhibition in 1985, Van Cleve’s work has been showcased in over 100 group showings and 60 solo exhibitions. The world still cannot get enough of her artistry, publishing her photography in a plethora of esteemed magazines, journals, and books.
Most recently, she’s got a documentarian following her around. Shot at Paws Up, Barbara Van Cleve’s American West is now in the late stages of production. The documentary follows her life and legacy as she tells stories of her family’s ranching history. Before presenting a never-before-seen sizzle reel of the new documentary to the Cowgirl Spring Roundup attendees, Van Cleve provided the audience with a sheepish smile and a hearty “Well, here you go.”
The first morning of the roundup brought a soft snowfall that evolved to a brief bout of hail in the early afternoon. The cowgirls didn’t mind one bit. On the contrary, a few women could be seen sticking their tongues out to catch a snowflake or two on their way from one event to another.
First was the cattle drive. I found myself in a group of four led by three of Paws Up’s all-women team of ranchers. The head of the ranchers, Jackie Kecskes, led our merry band of cowgirls through the snow-powdered plains of the property toward a small herd of longhorns. As we snaked through the field, pushing the cattle across the vast property, Jackie and her two ranch women, Lidia and Hannah, shared their own journeys to the enchanted land of Greenough.
Attendees of the Cowgirl Spring Roundup enjoy a morning cattle drive led by the resort’s lead ranch woman, Jackie Kecskes, and her all-female ranch crew.
While Hannah was born and raised in an equestrian family in Missoula, Lidia made her way to Paws Up from Philadelphia, sending in an application after riding for only seven months prior. Jackie found herself as the head of the ranch team at Paws Up after working for years as an educator for underserved communities. As the ranch women shared stories and swapped anecdotes about their favorite horses, it became clear that the common appeal to those who made their way to Paws Up was the time and space for self-discovery. The cowgirl narrative began to unfurl — a narrative that defined cowgirls not by their profession or spot on the map, but by their inclination to find themselves through nature.
After making our way back from the cattle drive, it was time to meet another one of the Cowgirl Spring Roundup’s honorees. We shuttled our way from the Paws Up Outpost to the nearby Saddle Club — a state-of-design indoor arena with a viewing room decked out with awards, trophy saddles, and memorabilia. Making our way to the benches near the middle of the arena, we found ourselves returning the contagious smile of Kirsten Vold — owner of Vold Rodeo and 2022 Inductee of the Cowgirl Hall of Fame.
Kirsten Vold stood next to a young stud named Tonto with a flank strap and improvised strap hook made with two coat hangers and duct tape. The workshop was simple — Kirsten would be showing us how to effectively put a flank strap on a bucking horse before they exploded from the bucking chute. However, as the cowgirls leaned in, hanging onto every word, the workshop quickly became a conversation on the nature of pursuing a dream that women are not supposed to pursue.
2022 Cowgirl Hall of Fame Honoree Kirsten Vold rides alongside attendees of the Cowgirl Spring Roundup in preparation for a cattle drive.
While many claim that Vold was one of the first women to break into the rodeo business, she will be the first to tell you that there is no historical proof of that. Nonetheless, she is one of the most respected women in rodeo, running the Vold Rodeo Company from the age of 25 to present. “You know, if you’re going to do it for the money, you may as well be a lawyer or CEO or something big shot,” she says. “You do it because you love the animals.”
If the name Vold sounds familiar, you are likely remembering rodeo legend Harry Vold — a well-respected breeder and rodeo producer nicknamed “Duke of the Chutes.” Since taking up the mantle for herself, Kirsten has continued to expand her family’s legacy with the breeding of top-tier bucking horses, many of whom have won awards for success in the rodeo arena.
Kirsten Vold alongside ranch hands of her ranch and rodeo company — Vold Rodeo.
Her biggest personal achievement is a stud given to her by her father under the pretense that he would never amount to anything more than a grazer. That stud, named Painted Valley, would go on to become one of rodeo’s most accomplished bucking horses — winning Best Bronc San Antonio, Best Bronc Mountain States Circuit, Best Bronc of WNFR, and PRCA Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year. In 2011, Painted Valley became the first PRCA world champion bucking horse to be collected for artificial insemination abroad, making him a leader in scientific development as well as athletics.
“He completely changed the breeding game,” she says of her colt, who passed in 2021. Choked up, she adds, “But beyond that, he was gentle. And he was the first horse that was truly mine.” The emotion she exhibits each time one of her more than 200 stock is mentioned is indicative of Vold’s genuine love for her animals and her sport. “One of my favorite feelings is being able to watch a young cowboy have one of the most important experiences of his life on the back of one of my bucking horses. It’s something you never forget.”
Kirsten Vold feeding her prized bucking horse, Painted Valley.
After working up an appetite, it was time to convene once again for our second celebratory dinner. Making our way via shuttle to the resort’s remote North Bank Camp reception hall, we chatted about our day, swapping stories of life-changing experiences like passing a basket of fresh bread around a table.
“We went to the shooting range, and I shot a gun for the first time. I am terrified of guns, and I thought, There’s no way I can do this. But my girls started cheering me on, and I got up there and did it. And it wasn’t even that bad. I was like, ‘Did I just casually conquer my biggest fear?’” exclaimed an attendee from Austin, Texas.
The reception venue buzzed with women eager to hear about one another’s experiences. Cowgirls sipped cocktails around a roaring hearth before finding their seats at tables decked with Paws Up’s signature mouthwatering poppy seed rolls.
As the conversations settled, Patti Colbert, superstar of the equestrian world, made her way to the front of the room, wearing a shirt that read Yeehaw Bitches, to introduce the third honoree of the Cowgirl Hall of Fame present at the roundup. The crowd fell silent once again as equestrian, veteran, and activist Patricia Kelly made her way to the front of the room.
A welcoming outdoor campfire adjacent to the North Bank Camp dining venue at The Resort at Paws Up.
Mother, veteran, equestrian, community leader, and nonprofit founder are a few of the hats that the 2015 Cowgirl Hall of Fame Honoree wears. But none of those hats seem to fully describe the breadth of Kelly’s wisdom, passion, and drive. A lifelong advocate for the representation of Black people in the equestrian and Western industry, Kelly is the creator of two nonprofits designed to uplift Black equestrians — Ebony Horsewoman, Inc. and the Black Boots Awards. But her story reaches far beyond these accomplishments.
“It’s hard being a Black cowgirl in Connecticut,” Kelly said. Born to a Native American mother and a Black father, she experienced animosity from all ends due to her race and interest in the equestrian world.
This interest was put on hold when Kellly became a U.S. Marine during the Vietnam War. It was there that she experienced a form of trauma that would follow her into motherhood and beyond. “Eventually, the numbers became faces, and the faces started becoming more and more, and it sticks with you,” she says of the rising death count’s toll on her mental health. It was then that she turned to her original love of horses to begin her healing process. “External conditions are absolutely controlled by internal feelings, and that’s what horse teach you.”
Anyone who has had the fortune of watching Patricia Kelly work will tell you that she can’t keep good things to herself. Her revelation about the healing power of horses became the basis of her nonprofit, Ebony Horsewoman, Inc., which was established in 1984 as a means of offering healing, opportunities, and resources to underserved youth in her community.
Patricia Kelly alongside participants of Ebony Horsewomen (courtesy of Patricia Kelly).
“I was born in the generation where children were seen and not heard,” she says. To Kelly, providing Culturally Competent Equine Assisted Therapy and Psychotherapy was not just about elevating the youth in her community — it was about creating a generational shift in which children are acknowledged as the experts of their experiences and masters of their future. “It’s about getting kids off the streets and getting them to a place where those opportunities that they never thought were for them are now possibilities.”
Kelly’s passion for horses extends even further than the healing process. She wants Black equestrians to shine. “Black men ruled the Kentucky Derby before segregation,” she says. “The term cowboy comes from the fact that Black men were called boys.” The desire to place Black equestrians at the forefront of the Western industry led to the creation of Black Boots Awards — a ceremony amplifying and recognizing the work of Black equestrians worldwide. Hosting its inaugural awards ceremony on January 8, 2023, the Black Boots Awards is a bold initiative that is just getting started.
Even with the many accolades that have come her way, including recognition as one of CNN’s Top 10 Heroes of 2014 and one of Aetna’s Champions for Change, Kelly remains humble, insisting that she is simply doing what God has told her to do. By facing her own trauma, she was able to redefine the healing process and provide the next generation with tools that she was denied in her own childhood. “God knows I’ve gone through fire, but it did not consume me,” she says.
Patricia Kelly, founder of Ebony Horsewomen and Black Boots Awards.
On the third morning, Greenough’s mountain climate woke the cowgirls up with a small spat of rain followed by a gentle snowfall. After a hearty breakfast at the Trough, Paws Up's dining hall, we saddled up for a trail ride through the lush forested grounds, chatting and taking in the view to the tune of hooves pounding the sleet-covered ground.
As the skies cleared, we made our way to the shooting range, whereupon Patricia Kelly demonstrated the perfect victory dance after making her umpteenth bullseye of the weekend.
As relaxation settled into the bones of each attendee, the underlying theme of inspiration seeped into each moment, encouraging the cowgirls to lean into every conversation as if there were a lesson embedded within each one.
As Saturday evening approached and the cowgirls gathered to be shuttled to dinner, whispers of something special made their way in waves. The theories proved true as we arrived to see Paws Up’s head ranch woman Jackie Kecskes standing in the Saddle Club’s arena with an unbroken stallion, ready for a demonstration.
We watched in awe and quiet admiration as the two creatures previously held separate by nature stood as equals in understanding. I had heard about the process of breaking in a stallion. I was told that it could be an inspirational experience if done with respect for the animal. But it was watching a woman stand in such strength and yet such tenderness in the presence of a horse that truly solidified my belief in the true magic of the cowgirl.
After the horse-breaking demonstration, we made our way to the Saddle Club’s dining area for our final dinner together. As we received our drinks and found our seats, each cowgirl was given a notecard and Diana Vela instructed that we “reflect on what inspired you this weekend.”
The Resort at Paws Up dinner setup with specialized cocktails celebrating the cowgirls in attendance.
The rambunctious chatter in the room subsided and was replaced by quiet reflection and the scratching of pens on paper. The microphone then made its way around the room once more, and it became clear that each woman had not only decompressed but reflected on what it was they needed decompressing from.
“I was inspired to just let it go,” said a mother of three and business owner. “I was inspired by nature,” said a lawyer who had traveled from the East Coast. “I was inspired by the stories I heard from all of you,” said a veteran and horse breeder. “This doesn’t happen enough for women. We don’t get to be in a space all our own and just connect with each other enough.” Each woman’s response validated the two things that the weekend was meant to represent — the power of cowgirls and the power of nature.
Our final dinner came and went with the speed of a green colt — quick and precious. Between bites of flank steak and creamy mashed potatoes, we shared more stories, swapped jokes, and made plans to continue communication with one another. The merriment of the moment was shrouded by an underlying gloom as the realization that this would be our last night together sunk in. By this time tomorrow, we would each be back in our separate lives, scattered across the country.
Attendees of Cowgirl Spring Roundup participating in trail ride.
The somber reality that we would likely never all be in the same room again transformed the Resort at Paws Up into a sort of sanctuary, a sacred space within which women from separate lifestyles could combine into a support network bonded by a shared love for the West.
Montana itself operated as a time capsule, collecting Western history within its slopes and valleys, coaxing its visitors to discover and perhaps even contribute to its story. As the shuttles lined up to bring us back to our cabins for a final time, a silent understanding rushed through the group — this is our safe space.
The snow had melted by the next morning, leaving behind thin slush. Our luggage had been picked up and sorted into the appropriate shuttle taking us to the airport. The campgrounds were quiet save for the gentle hum of the wind and the occasional burst of laughter that escaped from the Trough’s breakfast buffet.
The cowgirls prepared to depart as they had arrived, conducting friendly chatter as we lounged in the Reception Barn rocking chairs and took in the afternoon’s display of natural beauty. This time, each line of polite conversation held behind it the shared understanding that we were now a part of a larger communal memory of rejuvenation and inspiration, and that we would always be connected by this no matter how geographically separate we were. We had become a new piece of Western history, a piece defined by the sharing a stories, skills, and power between cowgirls.
2015 Cowgirl Hall of Fame Honoree Patricia Kelly (fourth from right) and daughter Heather Lawson (sixth from left), 2022 Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame Honoree Patti Colbert (fifth from right), and fellow attendees smile after a successful day at the Resort at Paws Up’s shooting range.
As I prepared to board the plane back to Texas, the Montana clouds sent smatterings of sunlight through the open windows. The same hum of the Missoula Montana Airport welcomed me back, as if nothing had changed since I arrived on Thursday. As I found my seat on the airplane, I looked across the aisle to find that I was sitting next to Patricia Kelly and her daughter Heather Lawson. As we laughed at the serendipity, my sadness melted into reassurance. While the experiences of this weekend may never be replicated, the spirit of the cowgirl would not be leaving me anytime soon.
Photography: Courtesy of Stuart Thurlkill and the Resort at Paws Up
