Art of the Cowgirl Horsemanship Fellowship’s Journey: Part 3

Posted in: Featured, Horse Training, Photography, Ranch Life

If you haven’t yet, read parts 1 and 2 of Alicia Adamson’s recap of her experience as Art of the Cowgirl’s first horsemanship fellowship recipient.

Partway through the week, Sheryl Morton came from Idaho to spend a few days with us. Lee invited her to come and take some pictures of us during the fellowship and we quickly became friends. It was nice to have some company in the bunkhouse and I’m grateful for the beautiful pictures she took of Lee and I together.

One of the best parts of the whole experience was discovering that Lee and Mark were just as great as I hoped they would be… it seemed the more I got to know them the more I loved them. It was a great experience that I will never forget and will always cherish.

horsemanship fellowship

I also had the opportunity to ride with Lee & Mark, Tammy, Curt & Mesa in Big Timber, Montana in August of this year during the Art of the Cowgirl clinic where I met so many wonderful people. The women (and men!) surrounding the Art of the Cowgirl are truly my kind of people! Good hearted, genuine, and headed in the same direction. The Art of the Cowgirl is a place to hone skills, but also to form friendships for a lifetime! It was so great to spend some more time with Lee, and get some more “homework” to think about and try to figure out.

I’m so grateful for Lee and Mark’s hospitality and welcoming me into their lives for those 10 days. For sacrificing sleep to get up at 3 am to drive me to the airport for my flight home. For feeding me, allowing me to ride and work their horses, and so much more. I’m so grateful to Tammy Pate and her vision for Art of the Cowgirl. Her generous spirit and desire to pass along these skills is nothing short of amazing. It’s humbling and I believe the spirit of Art of the Cowgirl is “pay it forward”, and that is what I am aspiring to do. This fall, Scott and I started a horsemanship ministry that would allow us to work with kids and get them started on the right foot with horses. We ended up with close to 30 kids that will be coming a couple times a month during the winter. We have specific horsemanship content, as well as some equine husbandry, theory, and a Bible study component. We started in September of this year and we think it is going well. It feels good to be able to pay it forward in some capacity.

horsemanship fellowship

As for the future, I plan to keep on working and growing in my horsemanship. Our children are 3 and 5, and it is exciting to see them interested in the horses. Our first priority is their growth and education, but aside from that and ranch demands, I’ve been focusing on developing some horses and teaching some horsemanship lessons. I am so grateful to the Art of the Cowgirl for this opportunity and very much looking forward to the 2020 event where I will have the chance to spend some more time with Lee as we start a colt together at the event. I am also looking forward to seeing all the people that I’ve met and over the past year and catching up in January!

If you wish to learn more about the fellowship opportunities or attending the second annual event, January 24-26 at Corona Ranch in Phoenix, Arizona, visit the website at www.ArtoftheCowgirl.com.

Related Posts:

Posted in: Featured, Horse Training, Photography, Ranch Life

About Savanna Simmons

I'm Savanna Simmons and I live north of Lusk, Wyoming, on the Four Three Ranch with my husband Boe and our sons, Brindle and Roan. I grew up evolving my horsemanship with clinicians like Ray Hunt, Joe Wolter, and Jack Brainard, but not within a...

View all posts by Savanna Simmons

Comments