tell us about yourself
Renae Cowley from West Point, Utah. I earned my undergraduate degree from Utah State University and my MBA from Texas A&M-Commerce. My 9-5 job is a lobbyist but I am a weekend warrior professional rodeo cowgirl. I have competed on horses since I was 9 yrs. old from 4H to reining shows. I was honored to be crowned Miss Rodeo Utah 2008. After completing my MBA I really missed competition and decided to try my hand at barrel racing. Having zero experience in this arena it was a fun, new challenge and I have had a blast learning, competing, meeting new friends and making memories along the way.
tell us about your family
I have an incredibly supportive family. There is no way I could rodeo without their support, my mom especially. She has been by my side through every horse competition growing up. She is my driver, sports psychologist, support crew, and about a million other things in between. We didn't have a lot of money growing up but she worked 3 jobs so we could keep our beat up pickup truck and old trailer filled with discount horses going down the road. She taught me that money can't buy success. It takes endless hours of practice and hard work. I have applied these principles not only to rodeo competitions but to my professional career as well.
how does rodeo help you contribute to your community?
Pursuing my rodeo passion has given me a platform to demonstrate some principles I hold near and dear to my heart - I call it my success formula. Basically with the right mindset, dedication, and seeking knowledge, anything is attainable. Social media has provided me with an outlet to share this journey and the lessons learned along the way. It is my most sincere desire that those following me can see themselves in this adventure. Whether or not they want to be a barrel racer or tackle some other dream they feel might be outside of their reach, I hope my story gives other women the confidence and empowerment to pursue their passions and stretch themselves outside of their comfort zone to do something great.
who do you admire in life and why?
The personal stories of Insta-lovers and Snap-fam'ers taking risks to pursue their passions. There are tons of everyday people just like me taking big, heroic leaps to start a business, take on a new endeavor, or train for a competition they have always wanted to do. It is insanely motivating because I feel like I am a part of this tribe that believes in themselves enough that regardless of age, education, experience, or financial means that they can do anything. I am deeply touched if I am able to play even a small role in inspiring these incredible people who are doing amazing things.
what one thing do you cherish in life?
I cherish the country we live in and the freedoms it affords us. I feel extremely passionately about this. Nowhere else in the world can you dream as big as we can dream and have every opportunity to work hard and bring those dreams to fruition. Nothing is handed to us, nor should it be but if we apply ourselves and think creatively the word "impossible" becomes obsolete. I basically woke up one day and said I wanted to be a barrel racer. That is such a crazy idea that could only happen in our great country.
what has been your most proud achievement so far?
Honestly, it was winning Miss Rodeo Utah. It was a goal I had set for myself since I was 9 and when it finally became a reality I felt like I had conquered the world. I am honored to be counted among an elite, impressive group of women who have held that title. I don't know that I have ever worked harder for anything else in my life but it taught me how to work hard, it taught me that I am capable of doing hard things, and it taught me that I can do anything I set my mind to do.
what advice would you give to the upcoming generation?
That happiness and success are not finite resources, there is plenty to go around. I beleive in growing the pie and that helping others succeed does not take away from my ability to succeed, in fact the opposite, it adds to it. Bullying, hateful speech, and putting others down to lift ourselves up does not bring happiness. When we build a community around us of empowerment, encouragement, and helping others reach their dreams it cultivate a beautiful environment where nothing is impossible.
30 THEBEAUTYBATTALION.COM
Photo Credit: Beautiful Boudie Studio