Project description: In the American West, girls are raised by their fathers to be self-reliant. From a young age, they learn how to drive a pickup truck so that they later can haul their horses in a trailer. These are girls whose biggest wish for their 21st birthday is a handgun. Girls who have never left the country or seen the ocean. They've been on horseback for as long as they can remember and aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty. They are deeply connected to the land and nature - and they’re all part of the same rodeo team in Colorado. The American Cowboy culture is deeply embedded in the American identity and sense of self. The tradition traces back to the European immigrants who came to America in the 19th century, dreaming of a better life. Among those who settled far from everything, on the edge of the world, a unique pioneer mentality was born - one that still shapes life today in the small prairie communities where the rodeo girls come from. For the 16 girls who came to college because of rodeo, it's not just a sport. It’s a way to stay connected to their identity and the culture they come from. Rodeo shaped them to be independent and taught them responsibility.