Summer Camp for Summer Break

Summer Camp is the perfect way for you little cowboys and cowgirls to spend all that free time during their favorite break … summer break. There are several cowboy and cowgirl summer camps throughout the country. One of the cowboy summer camps that we know about isn’t too far down the road in Humble, Texas.

Cowboy City Texas, founded by Mike and Mary Wall, is home to six cowboy and cowgirl summer camps a year. The summer camps are offered to boys and girls ages seven to fourteen and are chocked full of cowboy boot wearing activities.

Summer Camp Teaches Horsemanship

Summer camp at Cowboy City Texas is all about fun for the beginner and immediate horse riders. But don’t you worry; Cowboy City Texas provides the horses for all summer camp participants.

Cowboy and cowgirl summer camp is centered on horsemanship. Summer campers will learn and work on horse grooming, riding, barreling, cutting, roping and many other rodeo type activities. In fact, there is a summer camp rodeo at then of the summer.

Summer Camp Chocked Full of Western Fun

Other activities summer campers will enjoy while at summer camp are western theater, nature awareness trails, mud fights (be prepared to wash camper’s jeans every night), archery and more.

Attendees of cowboy and cowgirl summer camp also have the opportunity to learn western arts and crafts, play sports with other cowboys and cowgirls, go swimming (make sure you take off your cowboy boots and cowboy hats first), and even go shovel surfing. Now, we aren’t quite sure what shovel surfing is, but it sounds pretty fun.

Western Gear for Summer Camp

Before you take your little cowboy or cowgirl off to summer camp, whether at Cowboy City Texas or another western summer camp, swing by Allens Boots and we will make sure your summer campers have all the western gear they need.

*Photo by Cowboy City Texas

Cutting Horse Adds Spice to CEO Life

There was an article in Fortune Small Business Magazine today about a woman who is CEO by day and a Rodeo Queen by night. Yes, you are reading this correctly.

According to the article, Anita Lind Janssen spends her days as CEO of a company that handles asset management for large firms in the middle of transition. This is a job that requires conservative decisions and very little risk. Wanting to add a little spice to her life, Anita put on a hat, polished up her boots, and became a cowgirl.

It also appears that cutting runs in the Lind Janssen family. Ryan Lind, Anita’s son, placed in the top ten of the youth division at the National Cutting Horse Western National Finals this past weekend. I am sure that his mother couldn’t be more proud of her cowboy son.

Cutting Horse: What is it?

Cutting is a western riding style event where a horse and rider are judged strictly on their ability to separate a calf away from a herd of cattle for a certain period of time.

Cutting, which is becoming quite a popular equine sport these days, is special in that once the calf is separated from the herd, the cowboy or cowgirl loosens up on the reigns and the horse then takes over in keeping the calf separated. These horses are known as a cutting horse.

Cutting Horse Queen is One of Many

After reading about Anita, we did some poking around into the careers of the members of the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association. We found out that Anita isn’t the only corporate big wig that likes to compete with their horses for stress relief. We found an owner of a women’s western store, a President/owner of a drilling company, a ranch owner, a Chief of Staff of a state assembly, and a CEO of a golf construction company.

Who would have ever thought that participating in adrenaline pumping rodeo events could be so relaxing?

*Photo by Mike Murrow

Horsewomen Are Invited to a Cow Girl Journey

Cow girls, saddle up! On May 7, 2008, Cow Girl Adventures will set out on its first trip, which offers an authentic Wild West travel sojourn to cow girls, their cowboys and those who simply enjoy the great outdoors from a female perspective. The company, founded by true cow girls Christy Cramer and Sheila Davis, will coordinate three trips this year in scenic rural Colorado. Group size is limited - only six cow girls per trip! - so you may want to visit Cow Girl Adventures before they fill up.

Cow Girls Should Be Ready For Anything

Cramer warns would-be cow girls to be prepared for some distinctively non-urban activities during the first six-day trip. Cow Girl Adventures has an arrangement with a working horse ranch, where cow girls will rope, ride and herd. Make sure to pack your toughest cow girl jeans and dustiest cowboy boots for this one.

The second cow girl adventure takes riders to Williams Fork in August. Sited in an aspen grove in the midst of the Flat Top Wilderness Range, Williams Fork promises to be a natural oasis to cow girls who want a more luxurious Western ambiance. Planned diversions include yoga, massage and trail riding.

The final cow girl trek of 2008 takes place in Browns Park, a mountain valley at the north end of the state, near the Sand Wash Basin Wild Mustang Preserve. Once the refuge of ranchers, trappers and outlaws, Browns Park offers cow girls an intimate glimpse of those eponymous wild mustangs as they run and forage.

You Go, Cow Girl

The Cow Girl Adventures treks cost from $1200-1400 per person. Check it out and see if it might be the perfect vacation for you. And if you decide to go, don’t forget to get fitted for new boots and shop for Western wear at Allens Boots!