Designing Women & Dirty Nails

The years prior to the eighties featured only a handful of women who were actual forces in the professional horse world. What did it take for a woman to make it in that predominantly male arena? Someone supremely confident in her own capability and knowledge, and literally fearless when she knows she is right. Carol is a pioneer who blazed a trail in an industry that now welcomes and appreciates its female members, from trainers to editors to association executives. She has unquestionably earned her place at the top.

~ from an article written by Patti Colbert and Robin Glenn at the Carol Rose website. ~also be sure and check out the vintage cowgirl photo's.

I'm always interested in biographical essays and articles featuring women as seminal figures in the stock horse industry, especially when it comes to ranching and breeding. What has not changed is that the industry is still a male dominated field where the big money is to be made, but more and more ranch women today have opportuinities to participate and exel in not just the non-traditional roles of cowboys and ranch hands but also to be recognized as major influences in the breeding, training, and promotional aspects in the horse world. This is due in part to the cowgirl "pioneers" of the 60's era, women who in their youth garnered success in stock horse exhibitions, like Carol Rose, famed quarter horse breeder, arabian breeder Sheila Varian, and horse guru and trainer Linda Tellington Jones--who some may not know was a young contender in the stock horse shows before she marketed her TTeam methods for sport and pleasure horses of various breeds. While the womens movement of the sixties and seventies also contributed to the influx of women able to participate in male dominated careers, these women have inspiring life stories nontheless, to help motiviate and encourage many a hopeful cowgirl young and old alike. They certainly inspire me to "quit my cry'n" when things get rough, to keep my mind on even the humble goals I want to achieve regardless of what stands in my way.

One thing that appealed to me about Carol Rose is not only her Martha Stewart like pluck, but what is said of Carol's "true-grit" character, also from the website:

She's a get-to-business, bluntly honest person--perspectives she extends to herself. She races around her ranch each day accompanied by her trio of devoted Corgis, personally overseeing her business, from selecting a promising prospect for an ambitious buyer, to helping an employee coax a colt into the round pen. At sundown Carol's fingernails are just as dirty and her body just as tired,

You can expect to see more on this subject from time to time. The good thing is you'll never know whether or not I'm typing in entries with dirty fingernails or horse slobber in my hair.