Lainey Wilson, Ashley Callingbull, and more gather to celebrate the legacy of the cowgirl spirit at this much-anticipated annual event in Fort Worth, Texas.
It’s that time of year again — the time for pulling on our fanciest boots and heading over to Cowtown to celebrate this year’s Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame inductees at their annual Induction Luncheon and Ceremony.
On November 14, 2023, at Dickies Arena, the Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame celebrates its 47th Annual Induction Luncheon and Ceremony with the welcoming of the new class of five cowgirls representing a wide array of professions, backgrounds, and passions.
“We are excited to announce the 2023 Hall of Fame inductees,” says Patricia Riley, the museum’s executive director. “Each year we marvel at the talent, strength, and leadership of each of the women chosen, and this year is no exception. Their accomplishments are unparalleled, and they are a great inspiration to all.”
This year’s class includes the posthumous induction of Mary Fields, former-slave-turned-activist and the first Black woman to be employed as a star route mail carrier in the U.S. The class also includes rancher and nonprofit director Meggan Hill-McQueeney, history-making horsewoman Annie Reynolds, contemporary Western artist Gladys Roldan-de-Moras, and trailblazing Western journalist Kendra Santos. Along with making their way onto C&I’s list of 30 Trailblazing Women of the West, this class will join 247 cowgirls in the prestigious Hall of Fame.
This year’s inductees won’t be the only guests of honor. Breakout country music star Lainey Wilson will be making her way to the ceremony to receive the Patsy Montana Entertainer Award, reserved for a cowgirl whose work in the entertainment field advances and honors the tradition of the cowgirl spirit.
Lainey Wilson co-hosting A Texas Toast to Trailblazing Women with Katie Beal Brown at Haywire on May 10, 2023 in Plano, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images for Lone River)
Texas entrepreneur Lorene Agather and actress and producer Sainty Nelson will be in attendance to receive the Mitzi Lucas Riley Award, which recognizes cowgirls who promote Western heritage in their community through education and philanthropy.
Folks who attended this year’s Desert Rose Luncheon reveled in Lorene Agather’s and Sainty Nelson’s hosting expertise. The two Texans served as co-chairs of the event, which celebrated women-led businesses and drew out Western celebrities like Nicole Sheridan.
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Their influences can be seen throughout Fort Worth and beyond. Agather has dedicated time and energy to the enrichment of the Fort Worth community through her service on the board of the Fort Worth Science and History Museum and the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. Her most recent endeavor is the founding of L Marketing Consultants, a digital marketing and advertising firm.
Nelson is well-known for using her nationwide success to foster change in the Fort Worth community. The recipient of three Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, GLAAD Award, Drama League Award, and Outer Critic Circle Award for her acting and producing, Nelson is a member of the Jewel Charity Ball, Texas Health Foundation Committee, Creel Family Philanthropy Foundation, and the Cook Children’s Hospital “Experience the Mission,” among other philanthropic endeavors. She is also honorary chair of the Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts Gala and a member of All Saints Episcopal School Early Childhood Committee.
This year’s Induction Luncheon and Ceremony, presented by the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, will feature food, fellowship, entertainment, and the opportunity to connect and network with cowgirls across many different professions and walks of life.
Follow C&I through the historic weekend on Instagram and Facebook as we are joined by Ashley Callingbull on the red carpet and chat with some Cowgirl Hall of Fame Honorees in the museum.
Learn More About The Museum With Courtenay DeHoff
Lainey Wilson lead image: photography by Alysse Gafkjen
All other images courtesy of the Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame