If you’re like us, social media has become a huge part of your life, and it has most likely influenced you in some way. If you’re active on Instagram, you’ve likely seen at least one of these three influential cowgirls.
Spreading messages of peace, acceptance, inspiration, and even some real-life tough love, influencers on Instagram come from a variety of age groups, ethnicities and backgrounds. For these three influential cowgirls, being a western influencer means building relationships and showing their audiences ways we can all relate to each other.
Jessie Jarvis | @mrsjjarv
Wife + Mom + Third-Generation Idaho Rancher
For influential cowgirl Jessie Jarvis, raising her two young children, Jhett and Jaxyn, while working on her family’s Idaho ranch is everything she could have hoped for.
“We know so many children don’t have the opportunity to be raised on a ranch like my husband and I were,” she says.
Jarvis shares that life on her Instagram feed, showcasing outfits, life on the rodeo road and baby photos.
“I don’t really consider myself to be an influencer, and sometimes I think that’s how it happens,” she says. “You can’t determine whether or not you have influence on others; others have to determine that for you.”
Her overall goal has been to share lighthearted photos and posts while being open and honest with her community.
“I feel more confident on Instagram, and I feel like I can be a light for others,” says Jarvis. “Instagram allows me to remind people that they’re not alone, as well as showcase the western way of life.
“For me, personally, I think of Instagram as a three-legged stool: western industry and lifestyle with a lot of ranching; western fashion, which allows me to be creative; and then general family stuff, because that’s something I’m very passionate about,” she explains.
Keiara Monique | @thecomptoncowgirl
The Compton Cowgirl, Community Activist
Growing up in Compton, Calif., Keiara Monique always stood out. She was introduced to the saddle at 8 months old by her mother. By age 11, she was competing in barrel racing. But she still felt out of place.
“I always got, ‘You don’t look like you ride horses,’” says Monique. “I was the only one in my school that rode, and I was the only Black girl at the barrel races.”
Flash forward to June 2020, when the country was rocked with turmoil: Monique and a group of lifelong friends called the Compton Cowboys became headliners for the Black Lives Matter movement, leading peace rides through their hometown and right to the top of news feeds.
Monique rides to keep youth off the streets and fight negative stereotypes. Working with children has allowed her to give back by relating to kids who are growing up in abusive households or struggling to stay out of gangs.
“The horses kept me off the streets,” says Monique. “I knew that working with kids and horses was my peace and my happy place.
“There are not a lot of people in the horse world that look like me, and I have the stories of how I have overcome so much,” she adds. “I feel like I’m a living testimony of everything I have experienced in my life, and I want to give that back to the world through my outreach.”
Jenna Morr | @thejennamorr
Social Media/Content + Athlete Relations at Cavenders
While social media plays a big role in Hoosier-turned-Texan Jenna Morr’s career, being an influential cowgirl is also a way for her to showcase her life and the hard work she’s put in to be where she is now.
“I think social media gets a bad rap for being just a highlight reel,” says Morr. “Sure, it is, but it’s also an opportunity to showcase the reality. [Through my Instagram] you get to see the glamorous parts and the not-so-glamorous parts, and you see that I work my butt off.”
Morr says she loves Instagram because it allows everyone to be who they are.
“This is a great place to showcase who I am and what I am, all while keeping in touch and networking with like-minded people,” she says. “I guess that’s what I see Instagram being for me—a way to be an advocate saying you’re allowed to be who you are.”
Morr also sees Instagram as a way to mentor the next generation of young professionals in the western and agriculture industry.
“I’ve had so many people who have been mentors for me, and if Instagram allows me to do that for the next generation, then I’ll consider that a win,” she adds.
This article about influential cowgirls appeared in the 2021 special edition of Western Life. Click here to subscribe to Western Life Today!
