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Courtesy Photos
The panoramic of the first Cowgirl Round-up and Showdeo.
Photo by Jessica Nohealapa'ahi
January 1, 2025
Long live the Cowgirl
By Leanne Beauxbeannes
Special to the Prophet
Today marks the 25th anniversary of the Cowgirl Round-up. It was the last day of the last century celebrated by Bandera County women and their horses. That herstoric panoramic is framed and hanging in the Frontier Times Museum.
Before social media and cell phones really came into play, Carey and Jeanne and I just made a few flyers to hang around town and called (on our landlines) every horse loving woman that we knew and invited them to spread the word. At high-noon on that day, almost 70 women had been “rounded-up” at Mansfield Park Arena. Most of the cowgirls were on horseback and some standing in their boots, including the late Miss Maudeen Marks in her big pink hat and lasso, representing her pure- bred longhorn ranch, the LH7.
What a way to say adios to the 20th century.
The second occasion for the cowgirl Round-up was the sesquicentennial of Bandera County in 2003. Checking this panoramic photo finds some of the original women (some with new horses) and even more joined us that had caught the cowgirl spirit.
The 3rd Cowgirl Round-up 2007 became an annual gathering that continued for 10 years at the Hill Country State Natural Area. During my tenure there as Park Ranger we expanded our horse and women and girls gathering activities into the Cowgirl Round-up and Showdeo.
That panoramic was taken by Jessica Nohealapa’ahi, and is often displayed at the courthouse as a 20-foot banner. We had mounted drill teams, dancing with horses, Cowgirl History and heartfelt poetry were shared among us. We had demonstrations of different breeds, including mules, a sample of competitive trail challenges to try, female horseshoer demonstrating her skills, and western jewelry and attire booths. No one can forget Molly the beautiful horse being ridden at break-neck speeds maneuvering through a pattern with no saddle, no bridle, just a woman and her horse. At the end of each Showdeo, there was barrel racing and Pole Bending, of course.
There were hundreds of photos taken during these years. One very cold and very wet New Years Day, we all huddled up in the lodge by the arena and had a great slide show while we ate our black-eyed peas just to keep the tradition going.
In 2018, a long line met for the round-up at Bandera City Park with the old cypress trees in the background. From 2019 until last New Year’s Day in 2024 we gathered at Mansfield Park again, adding trail challenges, roping and mounted shooting to the fun.
This year, the women who have been the driving force behind the Cowgirl Round-up for 25 years are ready to take a break. Even though we have felt a “pride of ownership” over the years, we realize it is not ours. It belongs to every girl and woman and all their pretty horses in all of Bandera County. Most of these cowgirls were normal...about a hundred horses ago. Jeanne B says “Cowgirls are God’s wildest angels...they have big hats for halos and horses for wings.”
Before social media and cell phones really came into play, Carey and Jeanne and I just made a few flyers to hang around town and called (on our landlines) every horse loving woman that we knew and invited them to spread the word. At high-noon on that day, almost 70 women had been “rounded-up” at Mansfield Park Arena. Most of the cowgirls were on horseback and some standing in their boots, including the late Miss Maudeen Marks in her big pink hat and lasso, representing her pure- bred longhorn ranch, the LH7.
What a way to say adios to the 20th century.
The second occasion for the cowgirl Round-up was the sesquicentennial of Bandera County in 2003. Checking this panoramic photo finds some of the original women (some with new horses) and even more joined us that had caught the cowgirl spirit.
The 3rd Cowgirl Round-up 2007 became an annual gathering that continued for 10 years at the Hill Country State Natural Area. During my tenure there as Park Ranger we expanded our horse and women and girls gathering activities into the Cowgirl Round-up and Showdeo.
That panoramic was taken by Jessica Nohealapa’ahi, and is often displayed at the courthouse as a 20-foot banner. We had mounted drill teams, dancing with horses, Cowgirl History and heartfelt poetry were shared among us. We had demonstrations of different breeds, including mules, a sample of competitive trail challenges to try, female horseshoer demonstrating her skills, and western jewelry and attire booths. No one can forget Molly the beautiful horse being ridden at break-neck speeds maneuvering through a pattern with no saddle, no bridle, just a woman and her horse. At the end of each Showdeo, there was barrel racing and Pole Bending, of course.
There were hundreds of photos taken during these years. One very cold and very wet New Years Day, we all huddled up in the lodge by the arena and had a great slide show while we ate our black-eyed peas just to keep the tradition going.
In 2018, a long line met for the round-up at Bandera City Park with the old cypress trees in the background. From 2019 until last New Year’s Day in 2024 we gathered at Mansfield Park again, adding trail challenges, roping and mounted shooting to the fun.
This year, the women who have been the driving force behind the Cowgirl Round-up for 25 years are ready to take a break. Even though we have felt a “pride of ownership” over the years, we realize it is not ours. It belongs to every girl and woman and all their pretty horses in all of Bandera County. Most of these cowgirls were normal...about a hundred horses ago. Jeanne B says “Cowgirls are God’s wildest angels...they have big hats for halos and horses for wings.”