Your Guide to Art of the Cowgirl 2023

When Art of the Cowgirl kicked off its first year in 2019, fans of the Western lifestyle were blown away by the outstanding lineup of vendors and entertainment that the event included. Fast-forward to 2023, and Art of the Cowgirl has since expanded its event by moving to Horseshoe Park and Equestrian Center in Queen Creek, Arizona. This year’s event is going on THIS weekend, January 18th-22nd, and is expected to be greater than ever! If you’re planning on attending the event, keep reading our detailed guide to learn more about Art of the Cowgirl 2023!

Founded by Tammy Pate, Art of the Cowgirl was created to promote emerging artists of the Western genre. The event helps to raise funds that are necessary to continue to support the up-and-coming makers who are vital to our industry’s success.

The goals of Art of the Cowgirl, as listed on the official event website, are as follows:

• Gather and celebrate cowgirl artists that contribute to Western lifestyle and culture through the mastery of their trades
• Raise funds for fellowship programs to continue education in traditional cowgirl trades to keep these traditions alive
• Educate with horsemanship demonstrations, ranch horse sale, and sanctioned all-women ranch rodeo
• Entertainment and shopping with exclusive western vendors, live music
• Cultivate and grow collaborative relationships celebrating the western spirit

With goals like this, it’s no wonder that cowgirls from all over have been anticipating the return of this one-of-a-kind event. Learn more about this weekend’s event below!

Competitions

World’s Greatest Horsewoman

If fast-paced action events are your style, you’ll want to leave room in your calendar for Art of the Cowgirl’s World’s Greatest Horsewoman competition, presented by Western Horseman, taking place January 17th-22nd. The competition will consist of reining, herd work, steer stopping, and fence work, all events that are guaranteed to please the crowd. You can find more information on rules and event layouts here.

All Women’s Ranch Rodeo

The All Women’s Ranch Rodeo will be another opportunity for cowgirls to show their skills. With events including Ranch Horse, Branding, Doctoring, and Team Roping this is another event that you will want to make sure you make the time to see. You can find the schedule and full list of rules here.

Ranch Roping | January 19th

Set aside time to see the Inaugral Ranch Roping at Art of the Cowgirl! This event is made of up three people and must have at least one woman on the team to compete. Men are allowed to compete in this event. The prelims will start at 9 am and then the finals will take place the same day. Learn more about the rules here.

Cowdog Rodear | January 20th

Also taking place Friday, January 20 is the Ranch Dog competition where contestants will test on how stock savvy and skilled their cow dogs are. The competition will put both the horse and rider and the dog to the test as they maneuver a small herd of cattle through set obstacles. Check more out here!

Breakaway Roping | January 20th

Breakaway roping is back this year at Art of the Cowgirl! Taking place Friday, January 20th you can watch cowgirls compete in breakaway roping starting at 9am!

Tradeshow

From artists like Debra Brunner to apparel vendors such as Wrangler, Art of the Cowgirl 2023 has an all-star roster! Take a look at this comprehensive list of every vendor that will be in attendance at this year’s Art of the Cowgirl.

Other Art of the Cowgirl 2023 Events

Elite Ranch Horse & Work Dog Sale

If you’re in the market for your next great ranch horse or working dog, you’ll want to be sure to stop by the Art of the Cowgirl Elite Ranch Horse Sale happening on January 21st! This sale has been a recurring event since the launch of Art of the Cowgirl and is now one of the best-regarded ranch horse sales in the west. This is the first year where consignors were invite only, which means buyers will be bidding on horses coming from pre-approved and pre-vetted sellers only. See the catalog of horses and more information here.

First Annual Quick Draw & Art Auction

New at this year’s event is a Quick Draw, being held January 18th and 19th during Art of the Cowgirl 2023 at Horseshoe Park and Equestrian Centre. This event will showcase 6-8 artists as they complete their work throughout the days. Their work will be showcased and then auctioned off along with other items on the 22nd. The selected artists are as follows Molly Mellinger, Lexi Bagnell, Amber Sampson, Donna Toavs, Debra Bruner, Jan Mapes, and Andrea Murphy.

Workshops

Art of the Cowgirl is known for being a hub of connecting women in the western industry to industry professionals. One of the ways they do this is through their workshops. These workshops all take place during the event and are an opportunity for women to learn from the masters in areas such as leather carving, drawing, photography, rawhide braiding, silversmithing and so much more. Learn more on Art of the Cowgirl Workshops here.

Visit artofthecowgirl.com for more information and to purchase tickets for the event!