Numerous Black women have persisted in roles as cowhands, riders, ranchers, and breeders – a tradition that endures to this day

Caitlin Gooch, also known as " The Black Cowgirl", uses her nonprofit Saddle Up and Read to encourage children of color to read while learning about horses on her farm in North Carolina. By combining literacy and equestrian education, she is helping to create a new generation of black cowboys and cowgirls who can honor and continue the legacy of black equestrians.

Deboraha Akin-Townson is an accomplished barrel racer and horsewoman with a legacy that extends far beyond the arena. Her remarkable achievements include multiple international titles, such as becoming a six-time Bill Picket Invitational Barrel Racing Champion and earning the 1989 International Professional Rodeo Association Western Region Championship. In 1990, she made history as the first Black cowgirl to compete in the International Professional Rodeo Finals. 

At her ranch in Agua Dulce, California, Deborah continues to offer personalized horsemanship lessons, focusing on western riding and barrel racing. Her training programs are designed to help riders of all ages and skill levels excel, combining her years of expertise with a deep passion for horses and the western way of life.

Henrietta Williams Foster, affectionately referred to as "Aunt Rittie". Foster was a former slave and cowhand who resided in Refugio County in South Texas. She was considered a tenacious, tough-as-nails woman who rode sidesaddle and bareback on her white horse in long skirts and could perform the same work as the men. The old hands who knew her say "you felt about her just like a man and that’s the way you better act, or that woman would kill you." She had a butcher knife with her all the time and she’d cut your throat. Like most slaves, Rittie received no formal education. But she also served as a midwife and knew how to tend to wounds and knew enough about herbs to prevent pregnancy. 

Ja'Dayia Kursh is significant in Black history as Arkansas' first Black rodeo queen. In 2017, at age 17, she was crowned Miss Rodeo Coal Hill, making history within the Western industry. She was introduced to horses through a difficult experience at the age of six and found peace and strength through riding. Her achievement as the first Black rodeo queen in Arkansas paved the way for other Black women to participate in the Western industry. She uses her platform to advocate for diversity and inclusion, inspiring young girls to join the rodeo and participate in the Western world. Kursh is not just a rodeo queen; she's also a model, brand ambassador, and the author of the children's book series "Cowgirl J and The Magical Lasso," which promotes diversity and representation. 

Johanna “Chona” Phillips July Wilkes Lasley was part of the Black Seminole multiracial community of African and Muscogee-Creek American Indian heritage; a group of formerly enslaved people who had fled to Florida. As part of the era known as “Indian removal” in the 1830s, which aimed to appropriate land for White American settlers, the Phillips family and other prominent Black Seminole families were forced to migrate to Fort Gibson in Oklahoma and subsequently escaped to a ranch, Hacienda de Nacimiento, in Mexico after the Seminole War, and later returned to the U.S. and settled in Eagle Pass, TX. 

July preferred to ride bareback, with only a rope around the horse's neck. July learned to ride and tame horses from her family, and later became a skilled horse-breaker. She was known for her ability to tame wild horses, even developing her own unique method involving swimming horses in the Rio Grande. After her father's death and her brother's departure, Johanna July took over ranching duties, working stock and taming horses for the U.S. Army and local ranchers. She was known for her striking appearance, including her long gold earrings, braids, and beaded necklaces. 

Kortnee Solomon, an 11-year-old fourth-generation cowgirl, made history at the first nationally televised Black rodeo. With a family legacy in rodeo, she debuted at just 5 years old at the Bill Pickett Rodeo. The Bill Pickett Invitational is one of the oldest Black-owned rodeo circuits in the nation. Since then, she has won multiple championships, participating in the ladies’ barrel and junior breakaway events.  Her mother is 11-time invitational champion, Kanesha Jackson, and her father is Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association tie-down roper, Cory Solomon. Her grandmother is Stephanie Haynes, an 18-time invitational champion who also serves on the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo board, and her late grandfather was Sedgwick Haynes. He served as general manager of the Rodeo before his passing. It’s not just about mastering her technique but also about dedication, perseverance, and a celebration of community, culture, and heritage. She and her mom take care of their horses on their property in Hempstead, Texas, feeding, grooming, training, and of course, riding them. 

Mary Fields, known as "Stagecoach Mary," was a pioneering figure in American history. Born into slavery in Tennessee, she gained her freedom after the Civil War and later moved to Montana. She stood 6 feet tall and weighed about 200 lbs. She loved to smoke cigars, usually had a pistol strapped under her apron and a jug of whiskey by her side. At 60, she began to work for the U.S. Postal Service on a Star Route. Out of all the applicants for the job, Mary hitched a team of six horses faster than men half her age. Upon her hiring, she became the second female and first Black female mail carrier in the history of the western United States.

Delivering mail in the Wild West carried immense dangers and involved long arduous horseback journeys through hostile territories. She earned her nickname "Stagecoach Mary" due to her work as a mail carrier using a stagecoach on a contract route.  When Montana passed a law forbidding women from entering drinking establishments, the Mayor of Cascade gave Mary special permission to drink in the saloon where would spend hours discussing politics and sports. Mary was a quintessential example of the large roles of Blacks and women on the frontier. Not only did she overcome the challenges of asserting herself in a male-dominated world, she also defied racial prejudice and became a valued and beloved member of her community.

Nellie Brown, a Black American cowgirl in the 1800's. Unfortunately, there is only one known photo of her, draped in western clothing, her spur straps and her horse. Due to the effacing of black history, there is no Nellie Brown recorded in Western history—she's just as anonymous as the many Black women labeled only as “unknown.” However, her contributions to the western world are equally important.

Sylvia Bishop, born in 1920 became the first Black American woman thoroughbred horse trainer in the United States. Back in the1940s and 1950s you would never see a woman around the stable at all, however, Sylvia loved horses and racing far too much to let her dream go. Bishop’s horses won 44 races between 1987 and2000. Sylvia paved the way for other black women in the sport and trained the first Black American female jockey in the United States. Her grandson, trainer Michael Jones Jr. continues to keep her legacy alive.