WEEKEND WRAP-UP: 30 UNDER 30 & THE AMERICAN RODEO

Boy, have we been keeping busy! We honestly thought March might kill us – even looking at that calendar was overwhelming – a line launch, the Star Hill Ranch event, all those fashion shows, our first ever Spring Antiques show in Round Top, and of course, our big ol’ bingo night. But we survived it, and then, instead of resting on our laurels, here we are, comin’ in hot to April!  

This weekend, we had the opportunity – and honor – of being the presenting stage sponsors for the Cowgirl Magazine 30 Under 30 celebrations. As such, we were provided a platform to speak during a breakout session on Friday, and it was such a rewarding experience.

“Let me tell you something,” Cheryl said. “We spoke from the heart on this one and it felt really well-received. We didn’t do a ton of prep. We got the prompt, made some bullet points, and then we really just got up there and told our story, spoke candidly about our experience and the importance of being resilient and staying true to yourself. And I think that’s why it worked. Sure, we’ve been at this for three decades now, but deep down we still kind of feel like those girls in our late 20s that were taking a huge gamble on ourselves.”

“It kind of felt like talking to our younger selves, and I hope it inspired them,” Audrey added. “Because let me tell ya – that group of gals is 10 or 20 steps ahead of where we were at that point, and they’re going to change the world.”

“We were so impressed with them,” Hedy interjected. “We think we need to go back to college and start over!”

If you haven’t looked into the 30 Under 30 Class of 2025, you should, because they’re remarkable. But, of course, we have a bias toward one in particular.

“Listen, this whole group of women is incredible,” Audrey said. “But we are ‘Mama Bear’ proud of our Claire! Everyone loved her, of course. We have the pleasure of getting to enjoy her every day, but she is truly one of a kind, a true old soul, and just a creative genius and bright light in the DDR family, and we’re so proud of her and happy to see her recognized.”

As part of our sponsorship, we provided gift cards to the honorees, and many of them stopped by the Stockyards store on Saturday, so we had the opportunity to get to know them further and we raised several toasts. These gals really are the coolest, and it feels like the Western industry/lifestyle is in good hands!

And while that might’ve been the highlight of our week/weekend, it wasn’t the end! We’d be remiss not to mention The American Rodeo in Fort Worth! We went as a whole family – something we don’t get to do that often anymore – and we spotted a whole lot of DDR in the crowd, which is still a humbling and exciting experience. And while Ella Langley didn’t don DDR on the stage for her performance at The American, we hope (wink-wink) you might see her in some soon!