A Cowgirl living in a city…..

On Twitter I am known as I am known as Cowgirl19114 or Anastasia. I have lived in the city my whole life.I have loved rodeo since I was a little girl. And that is quite a few years. My mom took me to local rodeos when I was little girl. It was a fun thing to do. I didn’t get to see any livestock when I was growing up on a regular basis. But I was a Girl Scout for many years and I went camping and backpacked all over Pennsylvania so I still held onto the freedom of being away from the concrete. I got older I declared that I would never leave the city. I loved the fast pace. I moved into a loft in the middle of our downtown area. I  loved the idea that everything I needed was within walking distance.

In 2006 I gave birth to my son. My perspective began to change. I scaled back and I moved to a neighborhood with large back yards and neighbors not so close, but it was still the city. I really did not like it. Everything was too slow, too far, too boring. I was not connected. I had no idea what I wanted but I was certain about what I did not want. And that was to raise my son in the hustle and bustle of an impersonal city.

I gave up a lucrative position to be able to spend more time with my little guy. I had a passion for coffee so when a major coffee company opened their first stores near my home I joined their team part-time. Fast forward 2 years and I was the store’s manager. I was kind of living my dream. I love coffee and books. Owning my own café/bookstore was a long-term dream of mine.

In 2009 I got my first e-reader for Christmas. I was one of those people who swore they would never give up paper books. I was hooked when I realized the sheer number of books I could take with me everywhere. I read hundreds of books a year. I do not remember how I stumbled upon the Rough Riders series by Lorelei James, but it reconnected me with rodeo. Not in the traditional sense because these were some steamy stories. But she was so accurate in her rodeo descriptions that it made me think about it, a lot.

Then a series of things happened, I discovered the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo of one of  a gazillion cable channels I pay a mortgage for. I watched every night. I was hooked. I fell in love with Team Roping (Jade Corkill and Clay Tryan are my favorites). They are magic in the arena. I watched Trevor Brazile win an all around title. He was humble and genuine. These were real cowboys.

I found the PBR on TV at the beginning of the 2012 season. They were at Madison Square Garden. I was thinking how could I not know about them being so close. I found myself watching every weekend they were on TV. My obsession grew. I was seeking out  results and standings on the Internet.

There was going to be a PRCA event in Atlantic City New Jersey on my birthday. It was a sign. I decided that was where I was spending my birthday. I bought 2 tickets for each performance. I figured 1 of my friends would go with me. I booked a great room at a casino. On my birthday I hung out on the boardwalk and then we went to the performance. I didn’t expect to see any of the top 15 PRCA stars there. I was so excited when I saw Bobby Mote on my day sheet. I watched my first live event in decades. I felt like a little girl again.

The next afternoon, I was hung over, but I still made it to the finals performance. Nothing like the smell of livestock to get you going. There was no way was I going to miss another chance to see Bobby Mote! I got to talking to a man in the seat in front of me. He was wearing a PBR shirt. He told me  that he goes to the NFR every year for the whole 10 days. He said I should go. I smiled politely and said sure.

A few weeks later I mentioned, to my mother, that the rodeo finals were in Vegas in December. She sked me if I was going. I thought about seriously this time. I called my bestie in Virginia and asked if she wanted to go to Vegas with me. She said sure. She was not really interested in the rodeo but wanted to see some shows. We booked our flights, I booked us at the Palms. I got new boots and some Miss Me jeans and was ready to roll.

So finally I am to the point of this story. I met lots of people at the NFR. As much as I looked like everyone else there, I stood out. I was often asked where I was from. When I responded I got blank stares. So I started saying yes we have cows, horses and rodeos in the north. I am going to believe that was what they were shocked about me being from Philadelphia and not the fact that I am not white.

Since that time 2 years ago I have been back to the NFR, The American, The Iron Cowboy, and 5 PBR events, First Frontier Circuit Finals twice, many regional and local PRCA events. So I think I have clearly established myself as a serious follower of the sport. My friends have come to accept that this is what I am all about. I ride horses when I can. I would love to compete just once in my life in a barrel race and a roping event.

In this blog join me as I explore the Western Lifestyle from the perspective of a Northerner. I am going to interview people living the lifestyle who have always been in the north. Showing you what being a cowboy is like for those above the Mason Dixon line. Because, yes we have horses, cows, and grass here too! I look forward to hearing your topic ideas and feedback.