Herding cattle, riding horses, being an outlaw. . . those are usually the things we think of when we hear the word cowboy, or in this case cowgirl. However, this is about a different kind of cowgirl. 

During fourth grade, a miniature version of 17 year old junior Hallie Hackett saw something that would alter the course of her life. You wouldn’t expect something as small as a catalog or magazine to have that much effect, but you’d be wrong. It all started in 2014, when Hackett saw a catalog for Brangus cattle, and decided that she wanted one. Later on, she saw a magazine with a girl showing on the cover and told her dad that’s what she wanted to do. It may have taken a year, but she was finally able to convince her dad to let her. 

“One day, he came home with a trailer and unloaded four cows; two for me and two for my brother,” Hackett said.

Hackett has been showing cattle for the past 8 years, and has racked up many accomplishments. 

“I am super proud of everything she’s accomplished, but I am most proud of the young lady she has grown to be,” Hackett’s mother Shelley Hackett said.

However, showing cattle is not all that she does. She also participates in creed speaking, job interview, livestock judging, and forage. Recently, Hackett has progressed from being a district officer to becoming an area officer for the FFA. Working around a busy schedule like hers is not an easy feat, but she has the motivation it takes to pursue her dreams.

“I have dedicated a lot of my time to it, and becoming involved in agriculture has absolutely been the best decision I have ever made,” Hackett said.

In the future, Hackett plans to be a veterinarian and raise cattle. She believes that the skills she has developed will allow her to be successful in her career and throughout her adult life. While Hackett isn’t an outlaw, nor does she ride horses or work cattle drives, she sure is a cowgirl.