COWGIRL honors former Texas A&M Department of Animal Science student

Former Texas A&M Department of Animal Science standout Sarah McEntire Prather ’17 is being recognized as one of COWGIRL magazine’s 30 Under 30.

For the sixth year, the magazine recognizes young women who are innovators, leaders and trailblazers who open doors for others, share their enthusiasm and embody the qualities that keep the Western industry thriving.

Among the 30 Under 30 Class of 2025 is Prather, of Devers, a ranch wife who sells livestock insurance and recently opened a clothing company. A native of North Carolina, she earned an athletic scholarship to compete on the Texas A&M Equestrian Team in 2013. She spent four years on the team and helped earn a national championship.

The COWGIRL magazine honor brings a flood of overwhelming emotions, she said.

“There are so many women in the Western industry before me who paved the way for myself and other women in the Class of 2025 to be recognized, and for them, I am grateful,” Prather said. “To be recognized among this class of women is just almost overwhelming. It’s truly an honor. I only hope to inspire someone else as I have been inspired, that they may also dream of starting a business or being a leader of a major agriculture company.”

From the cattle ranch to Texas A&M

Prather said she was introduced to the equine performance world by her father, a reining horse trainer and judge. She learned the working side of the equine world on her stepfather’s cattle ranch.

Competition has always been a part of Prather’s life. She competed in team penning at the age of 6 and in a National Reining Horse Association event at age 8. She served as a National Reining Horse Youth Association regional delegate as a senior in high school.

When entering her senior year, she began reaching out to college coaches about possible equestrian scholarships, but she had one destination in mind. An equine production artificial insemination course certificate from Texas A&M University hung on the wall in her stepmom’s breeding barn, and from a young age she decided she wanted to be an Aggie.

“I knew I wanted to go to college for an animal science degree and Texas A&M had one of the best programs, so that’s where I planned to attend,” Prather said.

But there was something more that sealed the deal.

“The thing that stood out and told me I wanted to be at Texas A&M was when I was on the official tour. Everywhere we went on campus, everyone asked my family if we needed help,” Prather said. “We met Dr. Shawn Ramsey, and he took us to the Department of Animal Science in Kleberg and that is when I decided: This is where I want to be. It felt like home.

“To be surrounded by people who have the same likes and interests as you do, I knew it was where I needed to be, even though I was 21 hours away from home. Dr. Ramsey made us feel so welcome. It was the school I felt I was meant to attend. I was pretty sheltered before going there, and they took me in and changed my life; the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Department of Animal Science made me who I am.”

Competition inspires business

Prather competed on the equestrian team while earning her animal science production options degree.

During her senior year at Texas A&M, Prather earned the Most Outstanding Player honors at the SEC Equestrian Championships and from the National Collegiate Equestrian Association. She also contributed to the team’s National Collegiate Equestrian Championship and was named to the American Quarter Horse Association NCEA Academic Honorable Mention Team.

Initially, she planned to go into animal nutrition after college, but her minor in agricultural communications and journalism directed her immediate future after college. She went to work for the Quarter Horse News in Fort Worth.

The more she was around the ranching business, cowboy culture and horse competitions, the more she wanted to know and be a part of that world.

“That’s when I decided I wanted to design a clothing line for cowboys,” she said. “I chose the name Cowboy Ware, not wear, because ware is considered a tool of a trade, something someone uses for their job. And I want my clothing designed for the cowboy to be a tool to help them complete their job.”

Another important aspect of her clothing line was Made in USA.

“I looked around during the different competitions at what people were wearing in the warm-up arenas and in the show ring, and they seemed to be wearing fitness brands not made in the USA,” Prather said. “I wanted to have a brand that would support and give back to our farmers and ranchers. I wanted to encourage and promote products grown and made here in America.”

She launched Cowboy Ware in January, and after getting married in December, she now spends time working on the ranch beside her husband. She also is a National Reining Horse Association certified judge, something her dad encouraged her to do.

“Being a judge is also a way for me to give back to an industry that provided me so many opportunities, like preparing me to compete at Texas A&M,” she said.

Awards ceremony

Prather will be honored during the sixth annual Wrangler COWGIRL 30 Under 30 Empowered Gala on April 10 at Live! by Loews in Arlington. This celebration is part of the newly introduced COWGIRL 30 Under 30 Conference, a three-day series of events honoring the Class of 2025, past recipients and special guests.