If you’re involved with western riding or rodeo groups on Facebook, you’ve likely seen the name, Lori Busch. The ultimate connector, cowgirl Lori Busch has taken her love of horses and people and combined the two to help folks engage their passions.
During the day, this mission revolves around serving as the administrator for Women of Western Heritage, the Barrel Racer, and Women’s Roping Edge pages on Facebook. When not engaging with the thousands of women interacting in these groups, she also keeps the family ranch going alongside her husband, is a mother to three rodeo stars, and assists with producing events such as the Ultimate Cowgirl Competition.
Lori has been around horses since she was a small child. While in elementary school, her father was a farrier on a harness horse track in Pennsylvania. Lori remembers staying extra quiet in the backseat of his truck on the way to school, hoping he would forget she was there and take her to the track with him for the day. This tactic occasionally worked, and she received a fine education in horses and their people.
By the time she was in high school, her father was working as an outfitter, and she was the go-to girl for packing clients, equipment, and game in and out of the camps. She would teach clients how to saddle horses and give them tips on horses and hunting. Her heart for service is never far away in any activity she does.
When not helping with the outfitter business during these years, she was competing in the high school rodeo. An all-around hand, barrels, and roping kept her moving.
Ready for a change of pace after she graduated high school, she returned to the racetrack from her childhood to work as a groom. Her talent was quickly recognized, and she moved up the ranks to be a trainer and veterinary assistant before returning to Colorado to rodeo and be near her dad. For Lori, it was all about horses, all the time.
While in Colorado this second time she met her husband, former pro bull rider Dan Busch, who was managing a paint horse ranch locally. Together, they have three daughters who rope and run barrels with the best of them.
Today, she and her daughters have a business called the Cowgirl Cache, which offers a variety of products to meet a cowgirl and her horse’s needs. From equine health to fashionable clothing, the Cowgirl Cache is a newly launched one-stop shop for women to click on and peruse. As this continues to grow, it will undoubtedly help women make more friends within the industry, which is what her current pages excel at: connecting people for friendship and knowledge sharing.
When folks visit the Women’s Roping Edge page, they encounter cowgirls all around the country eager to show kindness to everyone, whether you’re the girl just exploring the sport or the seasoned pro trying to troubleshoot through an issue. There are no dumb questions, and there is a surprising amount of respect and honesty compared with other Facebook pages in this day and time. For those wanting extra encouragement, the page offers a free mentorship program where individuals are paired with a roper further along the path to help them develop their skills.
Her other page, Women of Western Heritage, has the essence of the barrel and roping group but brings together all aspects of the lifestyle under one roof, and says “we are cowgirl” but that looks different across the country. This group was inspired by the Old Broads Reunion Lori attends every January in Fort Worth during the stock show. The Reunion brings together women who have blazed the trail in rodeo and ranching. They gather with stories and artifacts, memories, and battle scars.
Not only does the page celebrate the current opportunities for women in the western world, but Lori hopes that like the Old Broads Reunion it educates the younger generation of girls today about how hard-fought this spot in the pasture and the arena was for women.
Everyone needs someone to cheer and encourage them along their journey, and Lori Busch offers the gift of her time, wisdom, and connections to raise the next leaders of the Western world.
Explore some of her pages here:
Women of Western Heritage https://www.facebook.com/Womenofwesternheritage/
Women’s Roping Edge https://www.facebook.com/groups/604332623312615/
