Behind the Chaps: Miss Rodeo Nebraska

Whether you call them chaps, leggings, bat wings, or woolies, they are a vital piece of cowboy gear. Chaps were made to protect riders when working with cattle, hitting brush, and from the weather. Besides decoration, fringe helps roll rain off the rider’s leg instead of collecting on the leather. Each pair of chaps is unique to the person wearing them. Personally, my chaps were designed around my family’s western heritage, and brand – which goes back over 100 years. Although we do not use the brand today, it still holds a special place in our family’s history and in my heart. The classic tooling and yokes of my chaps both incorporate the brand. I wanted traditional but significant chaps. So each side has different elements that represent Nebraska, agriculture, the western way of life, and my heritage. The left leg is embellished with a slender corn stalk, sunflower, and the state of Nebraska in red. And – on the right – another cornstalk, plus a windmill with a water tank embellish the leg. Both sides feature a cow and calf pair with my family’s brand. Even today, cowboys and cowgirls wear chaps when working a ranch or competing at rodeos. I proudly wear mine as Miss Rodeo Nebraska 2022!

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