The floor of Dickies Arena buzzed with anticipation as well over 1,000 guests, dressed in their Western best, gathered for the 48th annual National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame induction ceremony this past November. The grandiose celebration—complete with craft cocktails, local vendors and elaborate table settings—painted a stark contrast to the Hall of Fame’s humble beginnings in a library basement in Hereford, Texas.

What started as a small tribute to women in rodeo in 1975 has evolved into the premier institution honoring female trailblazers who have shaped the West and the world. Today, the Hall of Fame’s 259 inductees span diverse backgrounds and industries—from artist Georgia O’Keeffe, to Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, to ranching pioneer Henrietta King.

The 2024 ceremony welcomed four new honorees into this storied sisterhood: Ariat International co-founder Beth Cross, pioneering saddle bronc rider Kaila Mussell, the collective women of the Pack Horse Library Project and 17-time Women’s Pro Rodeo Association world champion
JJ Hampton. 

The Pack Horse Library Project honorees represent hundreds of women who rode horseback from 1936 to 1943 through 10,000 square miles of eastern Kentucky during the Great Depression, delivering books to some of the nation’s most isolated communities. These women served nearly 100,000 people, making them the first collective to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

For Hampton, the only Texan among this year’s inductees, being called a cowgirl is more than a title—it’s a way of life. 

“I’m tough and rough around the edges, and I never quit,” she says.

Born and raised in Stephenville, Hampton competed in her first rodeo at 4 following in the footsteps of her father, local rodeo legend Johnny Wayne Hampton. Over nearly three decades, she’s garnered countless rodeo championship titles in events including all-around cowgirl, tie-down calf roping, breakaway calf roping and team roping header. 

While still competing, Hampton now focuses on nurturing the next generation of rodeo champions, particularly her 15-year-old son. 

“I’m so proud of your servant’s heart,” she said in her emotional induction speech. “I’m telling you, your mom’s a world champion, and you can be one too. I’m proof you can.” 

Hampton also owns a highly respected real estate company, describing the work as a natural extension of her tenacious spirit. “I think the cowgirl way is just how I approach everything I do,” she says. “I wanna be the best I can be.”

When Hampton received the call about her induction, she could hardly believe it. 

“I hung up and called back again and said, is this for real?” she says while laughing. 

When she told her friends and family the news, they were equally surprised—not by the honor itself, but because they assumed she had already been inducted.

According to Bethany Dodson, the museum’s director of research and education, the path to induction is an intensive three-year journey. Accepted nominees undergo multiple reviews from national committees, with only four or five women earning the distinction each year. 

“JJ is iconic in terms of the rodeo industry,” Dodson says. “She’s had an incredibly successful career for decades and she’s always giving back to her community.”

For Hampton, the most meaningful aspect of the ceremony was sharing it with her mother, Barbara—one of her greatest influences—who passed away just days later. 

“My mom held on to be able to be there and celebrate this honor with me,” she says. “God laid this out and it happened when it was supposed to.”

The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame’s presence in Fort Worth, where it relocated in 1993, has proven to be a perfect match. Situated among the iconic Cultural District museums and integrated into the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo grounds, it stands as the world’s only institution recognizing women’s contributions to Western culture on an international scale.

Inside the museum, each honoree’s name adorns the walls of the grand rotunda, while their artifacts fill the galleries and bring their stories to life. 

“During my studies, I noticed that women’s stories were notoriously underrepresented,” says Dodson, who holds two history degrees. “I was always wondering, what were the women doing during this period? What were they thinking?” 

The museum answers these questions, constantly seeking out and illuminating the stories of the women who shaped—and continue to shape—the West and beyond. 

As Hampton takes her place among these legendary ladies, she remains grounded in gratitude. 

“It’s an honor to be called a cowgirl, and I don’t take it lightly,” she says. “I couldn’t have done this without my family, and it’s something we will always cherish.”