When Jennifer Holland rides into the arena at the World’s Greatest Cowgirl competition next week, she’ll be chasing more than a title. She’ll be showing her family’s commitment to the cow horse industry and the years spent honing and diversifying her horsemanship skills, driven by grit, growth, and gratitude.
Holland, of Brock, Texas, is set to compete in her second World’s Greatest Cowgirl competition, a demanding four-phase event that showcases a competitor’s versatility in the herd work, rein work, fence work, and roping. She’ll be riding Ze Sparkin (Zezes Pepto Cat x Digger She Sparkles x Diggers Rest), commonly known as “Chewie.” The 10-year-old gelding was raised and trained by Jennifer’s father, Texas-based performance horse trainer and judge Tom Neel, who has won world and reserve world championships in the American Paint Horse Association, American Quarter Horse Association, and National Reined Cow Horse Association. The horse is by Neel’s stallion Zezes Pepto Cat, which Neel rode to an open hackamore title at the NRCHA World Championship Show in 2009, as well as APHA junior and senior working cow horse world championships.
Through the years, Holland and her father have had success on Chewie in cow horse futurities and derbies, developing him into a steady, seasoned campaigner. Most recently, Holland showed the horse at the Mars NRCHA Hackamore Classic Horse Show Championship in July of 2025 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and they also won reserve at the World’s Greatest Non Pro held during the event. Her husband, JD Holland, has also won more than $150,000 on the horse in team roping.
“His strength is that he’s consistent in everything he does,” she says. “And he’s a superstar down the fence. He has the nickname ‘Cha-Ching,’ because we almost always leave [a show] with a check.”
Chewie’s versatility and experience make him an ideal partner for Holland at the World’s Greatest Cowgirl competition.
“At this show, you’re not really competing against other people; it’s about competing against yourself and making the best runs you can, especially when riding in four different events,” says Holland. “Most of the girls are on horses they trained themselves. It’s really tough competition, and you can’t just do well in one event and skate by in the others. If you can get through all four events clean, you’ll probably do pretty well. It takes a true horsewoman!”
Last-Minute Entry
Holland has followed Art of the Cowgirl since it debuted in 2019 and dreamed of competing there when the time was right. She wanted to make a run for the 2025 World’s Greatest Cowgirl title; however, with new ownership of the event, she didn’t think the competition was being held, so she didn’t enter.
“Then all of a sudden I saw they were having it, but it was limited to 40 entries, and they were all booked,” she recalls.
Holland added her name to the waitlist and, a couple of weeks before the event, she received a call saying a spot had opened.
“Riding and showing had been hit or miss for me since having my daughters, and I hadn’t roped since July,” she explains. “But my husband was like, ‘You just gotta go; you never know what’s going to happen next year.’ So, we decided to enter two and a half weeks before the event.”
The trip proved worthwhile for Holland, as she and Chewie finished in the top 10. But Holland also discovered that Art of the Cowgirl is more than a competition. There’s a special connection among the women balancing families, careers, ranch responsibilities, and a competitive drive. It’s an event where roles are reversed, and husbands help saddle their wives’ horses, care for the children, and video and cheer while their wives compete.
“It was the most fun my husband and I have ever had at a show,” she says. “We love going to Arizona in the winter. The camaraderie made it unforgettable. The girls there are cowgirls through and through.”
Competitive Cowgirl
Holland grew up on a ranch in Northern California, where her father trained horses. She was around cattle and ranching and showed cutting horses growing up; however, she admits she didn’t learn to rope until a few years ago.
“My husband’s a really good roper, and he’s taught me how to steer stop and rope,” she says. “I really wanted to do the four events [at Art of the Cowgirl], and I feel like a real cowgirl needs to know how to rope, so it was on my bucket list.”
In high school, Holland stepped away from riding for a while to focus on sports. She found her way back to horses in college, earning a scholarship to compete on the Texas Christian University Equestrian Team, where she showed in reining. Her last year of college, she discovered her love for reined cow horse and started showing in the non-pro division.
Holland graduated from TCU with a major in advertising and public relations with a minor in business. Since 2012, she has been a licensed realtor, specializing in residential, ranch, and land sales. Last year, she was recognized as a Top 10 Real Producer in Fort Worth out of approximately 15,000 area agents.
Balancing a demanding career with horse aspirations and family requires a lot of organization, time management, and unwavering support. The Hollands are raising two daughters, Jayde, 5, and Joey Jane, 2, both of whom already show interest in horses. As with most of the cowgirls competing at Art of the Cowgirl, the event is a family affair. Holland will be joined by her husband, daughters, and mother, Lorna Neel, who will be a fine-art vendor at the event.
Preparing for her second World’s Greatest Cowgirl appearance has meant sharpening every phase of her game, especially the roping. She spends evenings at home roping with her husband and hauling to training barns, and schooling shows to fine-tune her skills and confidence.
Holland’s dedication to refinement doesn’t stop with Chewie. She recently added a promising 4-year-old mare, No Maam (Meteles Cat x Flo Dancing With Rey x Dual Rey), to her string. Jordan Williams trained the mare, known as “J Flo,” and Holland is currently showing her in NRCHA derbies under the guidance of Abbie Phillips.
There’s no doubt Holland hopes to show J Flo in the World’s Greatest Cowgirl competition someday. In the meantime, as she prepares to ride into the Rancho Rio arena again, she carries the influence of her father’s training program with her, as well as the encouragement of her mother, the partnership of her husband, the bright-eyed enthusiasm of her daughters, and the support of her fellow cowgirls who will all compete February 24-28 in Wickenburg, Arizona.
