The Cowgirl Spirit - Interview with Tia Watson - TNC Podcast - Episode 14

Listen in to my conversation with Tia Watson: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-native-cowgirl/id1559325480?i=1000553431537

Thank you to Tia for answering my questionnaire so thoroughly. Here's what she had to say:

Name, where you grew up, where you live now, give a little background on yourself.

- Tia Watson. I grew up north of Reno Nevada and currently live in Shepherd, Montana.

I grew up that crazy horse girl. I got my first horse when I was 8, and had a bout of bad luck to say the least, she died 3 weeks after I got her. Then some really generous folks gave us a red thoroughbred mare, that had an impressive knack for running off with me, and later, after like 3 run offs, some fit throwing at a 4-h show, and several people telling us to get rid of her before she hurt me, they swapped us for a paint gelding. I showed that old paint for years, and we always did really well both in 4-h and open breed shows. He later became one of my back up rodeo horses when my good rope horse was injured. He wasn’t very fast so there were a lot of times I’d get out run in the breakaway roping. He had an impressive knack of bucking my family members off too. Lol

I went to college for equine science with plans of doing vet med, but I have a really hard time with school. I always got good grades but I’m such a procrastinator I’d overwhelm myself with work and make myself miserable. So I quit college to go ride cutters for a while, then went on to cowboy and start Colts in several different states before we settled down a bit here east of billings.

What is your role in agriculture?

-Cowboy for hire? Haha. I’ve had a lot of different roles in ag. During the summers in college I’d cut hay for a ranch in battle mountain nevada and ride Colts, I’ve worked for several horse traders, and cowboyed on 5 different places. When we moved to shepherd, I helped ran a therapeutic riding program for troubled kids for a while then became a state brand inspector. Currently I day work occasionally, build cinches and mohair goods and have started dabbling in silver.

What got you interested in ranching, farming, etc.?

- My Dad. He had friends that were old cowboys and they were always around, and growing up I wanted NOTHING more then to be a cowboy. I wanted to rope, and take care of cattle and just be in the middle of no where on a good horse. We would go to his friends and help move cattle to summer and fall pastures, help brand and it was always my favorite, just me and him leaving well before the sun came up, the cool mornings up in the timber, cows balling as we started gathering through the pastures. Being a little kid and getting to do that really made an impression on me.

Are you married (special someone in your life)?

- I am married! I married my husband Chancey in 2016 after we had been dating for like 2 years. We met at the Winnemucca ranch hand rodeo in 2013 I think and apparently he had told his best friend before he even knew my name “that’s the girl I’m gunna marry”

Do you have children?

- I have one little hurricane of a boy who’s turning 2 in may.

Inspirational person in your life?

- there’s quite a few. My husband for sure, going through what he did and still being a positive person and up beat is amazing. My sister Lexi, I don’t know anyone that works harder, and my friend Annie for her unwavering faith in God no matter what she’s been delt.

Most memorable moment?

- also so many. but if I have to pick I’d have to say two from this pst summer. First was the ranch horse show at Art of the Cowgirl for the ranch rodeo, my good sorrel horse who never really misbehaves blew up for the first time in the parking lot there and was just a basket case, I was for sure she was going to run off with me going down the fence or something silly by the way she had acted, and we drew a really hard cow, it just didn’t want to honor us and was pushy, and she went in there just feeling really bold, and put on the best fence run we had ever had. No idea how we placed but it was just the fact of how tough she competed and how well the whole run unfolded, I was on cloud 9. The other one was later that summer winning top horse on her at ingomar ranch rodeo. There again, super tough cows and she just ate it up. I always forget how young she is because she acts like a seasoned horse. She’s only 5.

Hobbies?

Trying to show reined cowhorse, and roping. I love roping. I also enjoy hiking and hunting with my husband. He’s an avid cat hunter and I’m hoping this year I get to be with him when he gets one cat in a tree. Since I quit the brand office I’ve been able to go with him a lot more and it’s a blast, even though we haven’t even turned out on one when I’ve gone. There’s really no bad days in the mountains. Oh and rock climbing and bouldering with him in the summers. There again he’s really serious about it and doing big stuff and I just enjoy the challenge

What is your favorite movie?

-all the pretty horses

What is your favorite music?

- all of it I’m realy digging rainbow Kitty surprise right now and bands similar but you can’t go wrong with some good red dirt country.

What is your favorite food?

-sushi and authentic Mexican.

What is your favorite color?

-I’d like to consider myself a color artisan and I love a lot of different colors but currently maroon. And turquoise. What girl doesn’t love turquoise

What is your favorite recipe?

I have a great chicken Marsala recipe, your stir fry recipe, and I make a garlic Parmesan crusted sirloin that’s delicious, and elk chorizo breakfast tacos. I love food

What is your favorite animal?

- I’ve always been really drawn to owls for some reason. And horses of course

What is your biggest pet peeve?

- a lack of common sense and people that wanna argue politics and tell you your wrong cause you don’t have the same out look as them.

What is your favorite quote/motto?

Jeremiah 29:11

What are you excited about (business endeavors)?

I’m really excited to get going more with my silver and engraving. There’s a few schools I’m looking at and saving up for. Also some prospective future Colts I’d like to breed for. I’ve got two really exceptional mares right now that are both pretty young but very much the kind that in my book would be worth seeing if they out produce themselves.

What are your goals/aspirations?

- I just wanna keep doing better and building on what me and my husband have started. Building businesses with an honorable name, and making quality horses. Eventually we’d really like to invest in some land and run yearlings so I can have fresh cattle to work my horses on.

Where do you go to clear your head?

- I love going for runs. It really helps. Also spending time with my horses. Being self employed now I have to make sure that a section off time every week to go work with them or it’ll be weeks before I see em

Dream vacation?

- anywhere on the coast. Me and my husband went to the Oregon/Cali coast one year for our anniversary and spent a week just rock climbing and bouldering on the ocean and living out of the back of the truck. It was a freaking blast. I’d love to just float around the US for month checking out different areas to climb.

What advice would you give your younger self?

- try and focus more on what you want, and really dig deep to know what you want to do with your life. I feel I spent a lot of my early 20s just being a butterfly and floating here and there with no real course, while I do not regret a single thing, I wish I would of known more what I wanted out of life, now I’m 30 and really driven to accomplish things with my horses and art and I look back and wonder what would have happened had I gone and rode for a big trainer in texas or went to a few of these silver schools right out of high school how much farther along I’d be. But, with out being that little bug on the wind, I never would of gained the experiences I did that have lead me to where I’m at now.