Kathy Daughn

Raised in San Francisco, California, Kathy Daughn always had an interest in horses and began riding when she was about 13 or 14 years old. She spent much of her time at Golden Gate Park doing anything and everything to be around the horses and riding hunter-jumpers, but it quickly turned into much more than that. After high school, Daughn began showing Arabians in Southern California. When she went to her first cutting at about 20 years old, she fell in love with the way the horses moved and the sport. Following a week with Larry Reeder, she packed up and moved to Texas to further her career in the equine industry, particularly cutting. Daughn is the only woman to win two National Cutting Horse Association Futurity championships in the Open division (1985 and 2000), with earnings exceeding $4 million. She is an NCHA Open Riders Hall of Famer and a National Cowgirl Hall of Fame inductee, and she continues to share her wisdom and experiences to help further the cutting horse industry.

Kathy Daughn is a Hall of Fame cowgirl with legendary accomplishments under her belt. Here, she is pictured with Starr Whitley when inducted into the NCHA Members Hall of Fame in 2023. Courtesy of Kathy Daughn. Cowgirl Traits

A jack of all trades and a master of every one of them.

Definition of ‘Cowgirl’

“As far as defining a cowgirl, I think a big part of that definition is understanding horses, livestock and the industry. To me, livestock are very similar to dogs and kids. They think very much in the moment, are very spontaneous and have minds you can mold. A cowgirl knows how to work with all three. The other extraordinary thing about being a cowgirl and involved in ranching is the lifestyle because anybody who thinks it’s a job has never lived the life. It’s not a job; it’s a lifestyle and a way of being. So, to me, when you ask for a definition of ‘cowgirl,’ she can do anything and have kids, too — all at the same time. They’re the cooks, the maids, the teachers. They give shots and doctor cattle, change tires, or fix pumps, and there’s nothing a cowgirl doesn’t know how to do or won’t figure out. My definition has definitely become more defined simply because I live this life and have experienced it. It’s been a constant process of seeing and being open to all things pertinent to this way of life.”

With great experience in the cutting horse industry, Daughn understands horses and the cattle they work. Courtesy of Kathy Daughn. From the ranch to major shows, Daughn is a force to be reckoned with and an inspiration to all cowgirls. Courtesy of Kathy Daughn.

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