The ten best things about the Cowgirl Roundup at Paws Up in Montana

Participants in the Cowgirl Roundup at Paws Up in Montana gather at a chuckwagon dinner. Pam LeBlanc photo

I returned from the Fall Cowgirl Roundup at The Resort at Paws Up in Montana with cow poop on my boots and a little swagger in my stride.

That’s what comes from four days spent horseback riding, fly fishing, whip cracking and more. The event is held each spring and fall at the luxury resort in Montana.

Without further ado, here are my 10 favorite things about this year’s Cowgirl Roundup…

1. Climbing aboard a gorgeous black horse named Raven and helping to herd a group of about 60 cattle along the Blackfoot River.

2. Hanging out with past National Cowgirl Hall of Fame honorees Sharon Camarillo, a champion barrel racer and horsemanship clinician; Donna Howell-Sickles, who portrays cowgirls in her colorful artwork; and master engraver Diane Scalese.

Western artist Donna Howell-Sickles cracks a bull whip at the Cowgirl Roundup in Montana. Pam LeBlanc photo

3. Trying to learn how to crack a bullwhip. I never quite mastered the skill, but now I’m determined. Guess what’s now at the top of my Christmas list?

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4. Listening to Courtenay Dehoff, part owner of the pro bucking bull Top Dollar (who I just watched send a cowboy airborne at a PBR event in Austin) talk about what it means to have cowgirl courage.

5. Riding a horse through stands of towering pine trees.

6. Looking for wildlife. I admired a bald eagle perched in a tree top and saw a coyote dash across a field during a long walk one morning.

Montene Trimback fly fishes the Blackfoot River in Montana. Pam LeBlanc photo

7. Honing my inner angler. If you’re going to learn how to fly fish, you might as well do it on the Blackfoot River, which inspired Norman McLean’s novel “A River Runs Through It.”

8. Watching the stars pop out as I soaked in the hot tub behind my cabin in the woods every night.

9. Meeting and interviewing Colleen Tuohy, founder of the women’s clothing brand Wyatt Outdoors, and her bird dog Patsy Cline.

10. Making new friends. I attended the roundup solo, which made me a little nervous. Most folks were there with friends or family members. But people invited me to sit with them and made me feel welcome and comfortable.