Hello loves!
I’m so excited to introduce a truly wonderful friend of mine to the Buckaroogirl blog, I am sure you have already heard of her-but today I want to give you a little insight into the life of the “Cultured Cowgirl!”
Since I was a little girl, I’ve had the opportunity to meet some really AMAZING and talented women. Strong, independent and talented could describe the majority of them!
But sometimes, you come across one of those once-in-a-lifetime gals that really make’s an impact on your life. Jennifer Dennison is that once-in-a-lifetime person to me.
She came full speed into my life like a redheaded blessing in boots. Complete with enough talent to fill the state of Texas, and a heart that is bigger than a Dave Weaver loop on branding day.
Whether she is writing, photographing, riding or trucking across the country to cover a story-she is the epitome of grace and kindness, and a true example to the western community of what a cowgirl should be.
I could go on and on…and on in my silly way-but I have found that there is no better way to tell a story than to let the main character lead the way!
So my friends, enjoy!
Much love!
Xoxo
~Adrian
(A) What age and why did you start writing, and when did you know that was what you wanted to do?
I became serious about writing when I was in the 8th grade. I was selecting my electives for my freshman year of high school, and I saw journalism on the list and decided I wanted that to be my elective, no art, accounting, band or choir. I couldn’t paint or draw, I didn’t enjoy math, and my musical skills, let’s just say I would’ve failed. However, I could write, and I liked to write.
The only problem was that the journalism class was open only to sophomores or higher. I wasn’t about to let that deter my ambition, so I marched over to the high school to the journalism teacher’s classroom intent on proving to him he should let me into the class as a freshman, and it worked.
All through high school, I took journalism very seriously, writing for my school newspaper and serving as yearbook editor. It was like a job to me. My journalism teacher, Mr. Ken Killgore was very encouraging and spent extra time after class and during breaks helping me hone my skills and teaching me photography. When I was a junior in high school he encouraged me to write an article for the Colorado High School Journalism Day competition. The article had to be on substance abuse. I chose to write about chewing tobacco, and my article won.
By the time I was a senior in high school, I had my own weekly column in my hometown newspaper. Called “The Dog & Pony Show,” the column focused on horse- and rodeo-related topics. At that point, I realized I wanted to combine my passion for horses and writing into a productive career as an equine journalist. With that goal in mind, I double-majored in Equine Science and Journalism at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. I did consider going into public relations for an equine or rodeo organization, but in a twist of fate my focus was directed toward magazine publishing.
My sophomore year of college, my newswriting instructor encouraged me to enter a scholarship program for aspiring equine journalists through the American Horse Publications. I won the scholarship and a trip to the organization’s annual conference in Lexington, Kentucky. Editors from all the major horse magazines were there, and all eyes were on me, the student award winner. From that point on, I knew writing for a horse magazine was going to be my destiny.
(A) How old where you when you started riding?
My dad is a cowboy, and he always had a horse or mule around when I was growing up. I have pictured of me horseback as a baby, barely able to sit up. However, I didn’t decide I wanted to take riding seriously until I was 12 years old. Now that I think about it, that’s the same year I decided to approach that journalism teacher. Apparently, it was a pivotal time in my life!
When I committed to riding, I did it all the way, and my parents were incredibly supportive. They hauled me to 4-H clinics, gymkhanas and Little Britches Rodeos nearly every weekend for five or six years. When we weren’t going to horse shows or rodeos, my dad and I were trail riding in the mountains to keep my barrel horses fit.
(A) Who has influenced you the most in life? Father/family/friends ect..
Being an only child, I would have to say my parents have been my biggest influence on every aspect of my life. They taught me that in order to be good at something I had to work hard, think hard and practice. They also made me accountable and appreciative for everything in my life.
I also have to give credit to my writing mentors, Sue Copeland, Jennifer Forsberg Meyer, Rene Riley and Juli Thorson, who graciously took a naive 23-year-old girl, fresh out of college and gave me a chance as assistant editor of Horse & Rider Magazine, where I worked from 1996-2002, before joining the staff at Western Horseman.
(A) What is is you love about your job/lifestyle and what advice could you give other aspiring writers?
What I love most about my job is meeting salt-of-the-earth people who work in some facet of the Western lifestyle, whether it’s ranching, training horses, painting or making custom gear, and finding out what drives them to do what they do so well and how events in their lives shaped them and pointed them on their chosen path.
The best advice I can offer aspiring writers, and that I need to work on doing myself, is reading great writing, studying words and their meanings, keeping a journal about writing and setting aside a chuck of time to do it everyday. The only way to be a writer is to sit down and do it, study good writing, and do it some more.
(A) What is your favorite part about the western lifestyle?
The things I like most about the Western lifestyle are the simplicity, family values and connection to the land, horses, cattle and wildlife. When you are in harmony with your environment, you can achieve inner peace, and vice versa. The same things applies to working with horses.
(A) Favorite: Music, Clothing Brand, Western Getaway, gear-maker, artist, cook ect…
Music: I have extremely eclectic music tastes, ranging from 80s metal bands to instrumentals to pop and country. However, I would say my favorite type of music the majority of the time is folk and roots-based music, which encompasses cowboy music. I really identify with and appreciate a good story song.
Clothing Brand: Living in the Colorado mountains, I have a fetish for wool, so I love anything from Pendleton, Woolrich and Filson. And, of course, Carhartt is a staple.
Western Getaway: I can’t explain why, but I can’t get enough of Elko County, Nevada. The small-town atmosphere, nearby Ruby Mountains and high-desert landscape really feels like my home away from home. I also never tire of exploring the mountain trails, waterfalls and the beautiful high country in my home state of Colorado.
Gear maker: I have a huge appreciation for rawhide braiders and horsehair hitchers/braiders. There’s something about the texture, patterns and feel of rawhide and horsehair that fascinates me. I have so many favorites, including Doug Krause, Merlin Rupp, Leland Hensley, Nate Wald, Pablo Lazano and many others who do beautiful work.
Artist: Western artists hold a special place in my life, because I’m amazed at their vision, discipline and talent. Plus, through their work I am transported to a particular time and place that in some cases I can only dream about. Some of my favorite artists are Karmel Timmons, Mikel Donahue, Tim Cox, Bill Owen, William Matthews and Carrie Ballentyne. I also like the whimsical illustrator-style of Larry Bute and Will James.
Cook: Rachael Ray. I admire her ability to just be herself, act silly and not bring stuffy, gormet attitudes and ingredients into the kitchen. I’d love to see her do a show with a chuckwagon cook.
Favorite Western songs: Night Rider’s Lament, Don Edwards’ Coyote Song and Navajo Rug. I also can’t get enough of Brenn Hills’ songs on his album equine. They’re so personal and heartfelt, as well as his older song Call You Cowboy. From your collection, Adrian, Missing You still touches me on a deep level, as does Drifting Vaquero and Will James Days.
(A) What are your hopes for this new year and new projects we should be watching for?
I would really like to devote more time in 2012 to riding my own horses and advancing my horsemanship and confidence to the level it once was and even beyond. As far as my writing, I just want to continue to tell the stories of interesting people and horses who are usually overlooked and let their experiences inspire and educate Western Horseman readers. In the new year I have an article coming out on a chuckwagon cooking school I attended, hunting cattle with Gail Steiger and Amy Auker on the Spider Ranch in Arizona, the heritage and origins of roots-based Western music, a profile on Mike Beck and many more stories having to do with horsemanship, ranch rodeo and authentic cowboy culture.
Something people might not know about me: If I wasn’t a writer, I’d likely pursue a career in interior decorating. I have a small business with my mom called Calico Cowgirl Co., and we sell primitive and Western antiques, gifts and home decor. I devote most of my Saturdays to that facet of my life.
*Make sure you go check out Jennifer’s Blog at :
(http://blogs.westernhorseman.com/culturedcowgirl/)
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