Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls: Life Lessons Learned on the Back of a Horse - Hardcover

Maier, Tom; Witter, Rebekah Ferran; Shepley, William

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1580173659 ISBN 13: 9781580173650

Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC, 2001

Synopsis

In the 20 years since Tom Maier established the Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls, he has trained more than 300 young women to do astounding riding tricks. Maier also teaches these simple truths: that values are taught through the disciplined pursuit of a goal, and that you don't give kids confidence and self-esteem, you show them how to earn it.

Coming from diverse backgrounds, the Cowboy Girls are renowned for their trick riding and roping act, but they are the real thing. Here is both the grit and the glory of world-class trick riding, plus real cowboy work - handling herds of horses and cattle, saddling mustangs, and driving stagecoaches.

This is the story of Tom Maier, of Riata Ranch, and of the young women whose lives have been enriched there. Told through rich text, entries from the diary of a current Cowboy Girl, the memories of Riata Ranch alumnae, and full-color photographs throughout, the story is spectacular and inspiring.

The Cowboy Girls have performed on network TV and in rodeos, Olympic exhibitions, horse-driving competitions, and NFL half-time shows. They have traveled to 15 countries and have been featured in the Los Angeles Times, Sports Illustrated, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Washington Post, and Cowboys & Indians magazine.

About this title

From the Inside Flap

Many girls dream of a thrill and challenge of riding a horse in a world-class performance. Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls tells the story of the young women who are living that dream.

Since 1957 Riata Ranch has used the values and traditions of the American Western heritage to build character through disciplined instruction. In Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls Tom Maier, owner and founder of Riata Ranch, and noted equine author Rebekah Ferran Witter tell the story of Riata Ranch and of the hundreds of young women whose lives it has changed.

Highlights include full-color photographs by William Shepley; first-person narrative from the diary of Cynthia "Tiger" Beltran, the youngest member of the current Cowboy Girls; and memories from Riata Ranch alumnae throughout the years. Also included are the strategies of teaching and training that have made Riata Ranch and Tom Maier renowned throughout the equestrian world, along with their secrets on riding, stablekeeping, cowboying, and general horsemanship.

Combining their history, the details of their daily lives, the spectacle of their thrilling performances, and the training tips that have made them one of the top equine acts in the world, this book captures the Cowboy Girls' spirit and allows readers to carry that spirit into their own riding and training.

From the Back Cover

The Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls will ride into your heart

Spectacular is the only word to describe a performance by the Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls. They streak into the arena on their horses, vaulting off and on at a full gallop, hanging just above the flying hooves. These young women have dazzled audiences worldwide with their daring trick-riding routines, but breathtaking performances are only part of the picture. The Cowboy Girls are "hands" in the best Western tradition. They can ride, rope, show, and beat the toughest competition.

Take a behind-the-scenes look at the values, hard work, discipline, and endurance that it takes to make the team, and share the thrill of international performance and competition. Experience the grit and the glory of Riata Ranch!

"With dazzling trick rides, the Cowboy Girls keep alive a grand rodeo tradition." (Sports Illustrated)

"Tom Maier has the rare ability to bring horsemanship to an art form. Tom's Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls are not only dedicated showmen and talented horsewomen, but most important, they are ladies." (Sharon Camarillo, barrel-racing champion, former Women's Professional Rodeo Champion, author, and clinician)

Edition details

• Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 1580173659
• ISBN 13: 9781580173650
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 160