ENGL 1500: Cowgirl Stories

ENGL 1500: Cowgirl Stories, a new 1-credit course, will be offered for the first time during the Fall 2026 semester. The course will be taught online and will examine how themes of the West, womanhood, and freedom are tackled in cowgirl narratives.

The course will be taught by Senior Lecturer Ashley Wells, and the idea for the class is rooted in her book, The Cowgirl and the Racehorse, and other scholarships on girls and horses. 

“Many years ago, as I worked on my book, I continued to encounter this idea that there is something seductive and compelling about cowgirl narratives. From television, to music, to film, to photographs, to books, stories about girls and horses and of the West continue to lure us in,” Ashley reflects. “I originally developed and taught this course many years ago at my prior institution, and since starting here at USU, I’ve wanted to offer it considering our student population and where we’re at with our active rodeo, horsemanship, and agricultural communities. This course just belongs here at USU!”

Students will interact with cowgirl narratives of their choice, from films and songs to children’s books. The class will equip students to write and speak for the web with assignments culminating in the creation of a website with blog posts. “Cowgirl stories appeal to our emotions in a way that is deeply effective and pervasive,” Ashley notes. “But more importantly, this course is meant to provide students with practical, professional skills they can take with them into careers, while exploring narratives that are relevant to our student populations across all of our campuses.”