Charla
was
born
and
raised
in
El
Paso,
Texas,
where
her
love
for
horses
began
at
a
very
early
age.
Throughout
her
elementary
school
years,
she
would
spend
a
lot
of
time
at
her
Aunt’s
ranch
learning
the
skills
of
horsemanship.
By
the
time
she
was
in
high
school,
she
was
training
barrel
horses
and
working
with
a
professional
race
horse
trainer
helping
with
the
training,
exercising,
and
preparing
the
young
horses
for
the
track.
During
these
early
years,
she
was
also
competing
in
barrel
horse
jackpots
that
were
held
by
the
NBHA.
Charla
would
go
on
to
college
and
rodeo
for
New Mexico State University in Las Cruces where she studied biology.
The
call
of
the
Western
way
of
life
was
powerful,
and
she
made
a
trip
to
California
where
she
took
on
riding
reined
cow
horses.
Shortly
afterward
she
would
meet
her
husband
Dalton
at
one
of
her
college
rodeo
events
at
NMSU.
In
making
a
huge
and
unsurprising
life
choice,
Charla
and
Dalton
would
marry
and
move
to
the
family
ranch
in
LaGrange,
Wyoming.
The
Ward
family
has
a
long
history
and
is
a
4
th
generation Wyoming ranching and agricultural family.
LaGrange
is
situated
in
Goshen
County
and
is
just
south
of
Torrington
not
far
from
the
Nebraska
State
Line.
This
area
is
famous
for
its
rich
historic
cavalry
stories
and
the
saga
of
Mount
66.
Among
the
thousands
of
acres
of
farming
and
grazing
land,
you
will
find
Charla
out
with
her
husband
working
the
cattle,
calving,
branding,
roping,
and
taking
on
anything
a
Cowboy
can
do.
They
run
their
herd
business
as
the
Bridle
Bit
Cattle
Company
and
are
continuing
to
build
their
own
herd
of
Black
Angus.
With
the
huge
family
bonds
in
the
area,
they
share
the
responsibilities
of
helping
family
and
neighbors
with
their
ranches
also.
If
all
this
were
not
enough,
in
addition,
Charla
starts
and
trains
her
barrel
horses
and
races
them
in
rodeos
in
the
region.
She
also
takes
her
colts
that
she
has
started
to
Laramie
to
be
sold.
To
add
to
her
many
talents,
she
prides
herself
in
her
Italian
heritage
with
her
cooking
skills,
especially
during
branding
season
when
they
host
25-30
cowboys
and
cowgirls
at their ranch.
Charla
also
owns
a
part-time
hairstyling
business
in
Torrington,
where
she
spends
several
days
a
month
providing her skills in hairstyling design and permanent make-up application to the community.
Charla
volunteers
as
a
teacher
in
the
children’s
ministry
at
her
Church.
The
greatest
joy
that
Charla
feels
is
in
the
raising
of
their
two
children,
Reata
and
their
newborn,
Ransom,
and
for
her
determination
in
passing
on
the
legacy of the ranching life to her children.
american cowgirl #24
charla ward - wyoming
our cowgirl ambassador
for
wrca foundation
american cowgirl #24
charla ward - wyoming
the painting
Photo image selected for the painting
the painting completed SEPT. 8, 2021
“ American cowgirl #24 - charla ward - wyoming”
charla ward’s tribute video
on Youtube
AMERICAN COWGIRL #24
PHOTOSHOOT DATES
LOCATIONS
july 12. 13, 14, 15, 2021
ward ranchES, la grange, wyoming
The actual image which was my inspiration for charla’S painting was taken ON JULY 15, 2021
charla ward was on-boarded into the line-up as American Cowgirl #24 on may 8th, 2021
why I believe
A working ranch cowboy is defined as any person, male or female, deriving a significant portion of his or her income from taking care of
cattle on a cattle ranch. Day workers are included.
The mission of the WRCA Foundation’s Crisis Fund is to provide financial and other assistance to working ranch cowboys and their
families who are suffering significant hardship and who are not otherwise able to provide for their immediate needs.
photo & canvas IMAGES of
american cowgirl #24
VISIT OUR DECOR ART STORE
COMING SOON
american cowgirl #24
CHARLA WARD
CHARLA AND HER FAVORITE HORSE - LAWLESS