“I thank the museum for recording the testimonies of those women who �- kept their appointment with destiny. I am glad that I’m a woman and proud to be a cowgirl. I look forward to contributing my part to this American treasure, the Cowgirl Museum.” Deborah Fellows’ words of acceptance in the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame Oct. 16, at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas, brought the crowd of more than 900 guests to their feet in a standing ovation.

Former First Lady Laura Bush, Pioneer Award recipient, congratulates Deborah Copenhaver Fellows of Sonoita, at her induction into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas. From left to right: Diane Collins, Laura W. Bush, Deborah Fellows and Betty Barr.

Also honored at the ceremony was former First Lady, Laura W. Bush, who received the Gloria Lupton Tennison Pioneer Award for her decades-long service in the area of literacy for implementing such programs as Take Time for Kids, The National Book Festival and the White House Conference on Advancing Global Literacy.

Fellows grew up with a passion for horses and art. Following in the footsteps of her father Deb Copenhaver, 1955 World Champion saddle bronc rider, she raced barrels on the professional rodeo circuit, was 1967 Miss Rodeo Washington, and worked as a rodeo timer. She studied art and sculpture, earning her BA, and spending six months in Europe studying the work of the masters. In 1977 she was commissioned to create a monument for Bing Crosby at Gonzaga University. Since then she has created many others, including veterans’ memorials in Spokane, Missoula, and Washington and the horse and rider at the entrance to the Sonoita Fairgrounds. She was selected a lifetime member of the National Sculpture Society in 2008. When not working in the studio at their ranch near Sonoita, she and her husband, artist Fred Fellows, can usually be found roping in their arena.

The awards ceremony kicked off with a champagne reception and viewing of the spectacular table designs. More than 90 organizations, retailers and decorators vied to create the most glamorous and unique table. Nothing was deemed too large or too colorful to serve as a centerpiece. Boots, cowboy hats, riding tack, Talavera figurines, and myriads of flowers provided a kaleidoscope of visual delights.

One table boasted a full-size saddle, another a mannequin torso outfitted in a sequined jacket. Even the caterer got into the act by using stemware to showcase individual molten chocolate cakes floating on a lake of berries and syrup, accompanied by a souvenir cookie frosted with the Cowgirl Museum’s unique desert rose and spur logo, creatively packaged in clear cellophane and tied with ribbon.

In addition to her family and friends from across the country, locals who traveled to Fort Worth to celebrate Deborah’s achievement included Margaret and Paul Bond of Nogales, Hall of Fame honoree from 1977, Louise Serpa of Tucson, and Diane Collins and Betty Barr of Sonoita.

The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, was founded in 1975 to honor women whose lives exemplify the courage, resilience and independence that helped shape the American West. More than 500 women have been nominated in five categories: Artists and Writers, Champions and Competitive Performers, Entertainers, Ranchers deemed as Stewards of Land and Livestock, and Trailblazers and Pioneers, with only three or four women accepted each year.