WOMEN OF THE NATIONAL WESTERN 

Denver 

News: Leave it to the ladies to have a big hand in helping the 120^th National Western Stock Show cross the line to a record-breaking finish. 

The numbers for the “Best 16 Days in January” were impressive. There were 750,039 visitors, a 23,067 increase from the previous record set in 2006; the Auction of Junior Livestock Champions’ $1,875,500 in sales included the Bank of Colorado’s astonishing bid of $320,000 for the Grand Champion Junior Market Steer. And the Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale set yet another record with $1,836,195 in sales. 

The 2026 NWSS’s strong finish was also made possible by the fourth edition of Cowgirls & Cocktails. Approximately 800 women took part in this Jan. 22 event, paying $75 or $150 each for an evening spent socializing, shopping and enjoying cocktails and a buffet supper on the McNicholas Club Floor of NWSS’ world headquarters, a building named The Legacy. 

Double D Ranch sent racks of its high-end Western wear for purchase in the vendors’ corner, a spot where Drybar stylists offered touch-ups and tinsel accents for the hair, and others, such as Lov Leathers and Cactus Cowgirl Boutique, had items for sale. 

A photographer from Cowboys & Indians magazine snapped pictures in the step-and-repeat line. 

The idea for Cowgirls & Cocktails came from Angela Lieurance, director of the $150 million Honoring the Legacy capital campaign. It started small and has grown exponentially – quadrupling in size in what seems like the blink of an eye. 

Proceeds from it are earmarked for the Honoring the Legacy campaign, and the event would celebrate women in agriculture and introduce those unfamiliar with it to the Western way of life. 

With the campaign almost at its end, the questions this year centered around the future for Cowgirls & Cocktails and the direction it may take. 

Everyone with whom Colorado Politics spoke expressed a determination to see it continue, in one iteration or another. 

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” was the recommendation of special guest Kyle Bunting, a hide artist from Austin, TX, who designed murals that adorn board rooms and other spaces in The Legacy. “This is a first-class event, something very special, and I’m excited to be involved.” 

Attorney Cynthia Treadwell, a member of the 2026 host committee, said while a change in format may be necessary, she’s pledging to support whichever change is decided upon. 

“The role women play in agriculture is so important, and needs to be recognized and supported,” she said. “I’m going to stay involved and do whatever needs to be done.” 

One thing is for certain, according to host committee chair Carrie Coors Tynan, “We aren’t going to let it go.” 

Tynan, her mother, Marilyn, along with sisters and sisters-in-law Ashley Coors, Meredith Coors, Molly Coors, Melissa Coors Osborn and Christi Ficeli, have led the planning efforts since the start. Tynan’s father, Pete Coors, is the chairman of the Honoring the Legacy capital campaign. 

Jennifer Allison, whose husband, Wes, is the stock show’s president and chief executive officer, was among the guests. So, too, was Nancy Jones, whose husband, Doug, chairs the NWSS board of directors, and Barb Eidsness, whose husband, George, is the 2026 Citizen of the West. 

Other familiar faces in the crowd were former Denver City Councilwoman Stephanie Foote; CoBank executives Jen Daurio and Faye Tate; Rose Community Foundation chief Lindy Eichenbaum Lent; investor/philanthropist Chancy Love; Holly Arnold Kinney, who recently sold The Fort restaurant that had been established by her father, the late Sam’l Arnold; Kerry Kinnard, founder of the nonprofit Doggy Bags 2 Donate and K2 Jewelz; Brooke Fox, CEO of the Colorado Agricultural Leadership Foundation and a member of the NWSS board; Melanie Geary, executive assistant to Colorado State University Chancellor Tony Frank; and Jon Hartman and Justin Croft, of Natural Object, which designed The Exchange on the National Western campus. 

About the organization: Women of the National Western is an organization dedicated to supporting, promoting and protecting Western heritage, agriculture and culture through events like Cowgirls and Cocktails, where women gather to foster community and celebrate women in agriculture and the spirit of the West. 

Website: nationalwestern.com 

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