by Jim Olson
“The Arizona Cowgirl”
Let me introduce you to Bobbi Jeen Olson. Cowgirl extraordinaire! The great Rex Allen was known world-wide as “The Arizona Cowboy.” Bobbi Jeen is quickly becoming known in some circles as “The Arizona Cowgirl.” There are several reasons for this.
Raised in the country, and brought up in the ranching lifestyle, she is first and foremost, a real cowgirl. Riding, roping and even branding are all things she has done in real-life situations. Her first paying job was at a cattle auction. And yes cowboys, that championship team roping buckle hanging on her belt is one (of many) she won herself.
As a young lady, Olson became interested in a local Queen contest. That year, she won the title of Torrance County Queen, representing Torrance County, New Mexico (where she lived at the time). From there she competed at the New Mexico State Fair, where, by a slim margin, she finished runner up. What was more important about competing at the state fair however, was that a local talent scout (agent) happened to be there. She took a liking to Bobbi Jeen.
After interviewing with the agent, Olson soon had her first gig. The agency then found she was eager to work in front of the camera and had a natural talent for doing so. In those beginning years, she worked on many projects including commercials and ads for Pemmican Beef Jerky, local Western Wear stores and Wrangler products. She also did riding scenes and doubled many famous actresses in films such as Stolen Women, The Hi-Lo Country, Walker – Texas Ranger and appeared in several music videos. She built a resume which said: Model, Actress, Stuntwoman.
During this period of her life, she also volunteered long hours at a therapy program which helped to rehabilitate the handicapped through horseback riding. Helping youngsters remains a passion of hers to this day.
After moving to Arizona and taking a break to start a family, she got back into the world of modeling and acting, this time with a new spin on it. A slightly more mature person evolved this time. One who now had a mission other than “just getting in front of a camera.” Olson now was determined to promote the way of life she loved and cherished. The Western Way of Life—represented by good, family based, morals and values. She also wanted to inspire people through what she was doing.
Projects she has worked on in the last decade are numerous. As a model, she has been featured on the cover of many magazines, walked the runway in some of the West’s biggest fashion shows and promoted products such as western fashion and accessories for major designers. Being an expert horsewoman, she is still called upon to do riding scenes for Hollywood actresses. However, directors and producers have figured out that, since Bobbi Jeen can Act as well, it saves time and money to just hire her for the part. There is no sense in hiring two people to film one part!
For a while, she did a stint as host of Arizona Country TV. Although the project was short-lived, it is something Olson is proud of. “Promoting the West, it’s wonderful scenery, and interviewing inspirational people is something near and dear to my heart,” said Bobbi Jeen. She has delved into hosting and interviewing on several occasions, for various projects.
In Arizona, a state with a long history of Western projects, Bobbi Jeen is one of the busiest persons in the industry. Arizona personality and spokesperson, The Arizona Duude, said, “I don’t know how she does it, but every time I turn around, Bobbi Jeen is involved in another project.”
As she has made a name for herself, Olson has become more “selective” in what she gets involved with. Her personal motto is all about promoting the Western Way of Life and it’s traditional values. While not every project she works on is necessarily “western,” all of them will be family friendly. “I don’t want to do anything that I would be ashamed for my thirteen-year-old son or my mother to watch,” she said. Her values and ethics must be paying off because she is constantly being offered bigger parts in better projects.
At the time of this writing, she has worked on three different movies—soon to be released. Two are traditional westerns and one a contemporary western. Upcoming projects she has already been signed for include a feature-length mystery film set in modern-day Arizona called Deadly Sanctuary and three different fashion shows. She is also slated to appear at a seminar in Wyoming which will teach modeling and inspire young ladies to go after their dreams.
Somewhere along the way, they started calling her “The Arizona Cowgirl.” As discussed above, she is a real cowgirl. She is also charitable, inspirational, is of good character and ethics and is not afraid of a little hard work. All great cowgirl qualities. Most cowgirls do possess these traits. Bobbi Jeen however is in the unique situation where she has become quite visible due to her public life. Since she projects those same qualities publicly, raising the bar for all who see, it seems quite fitting for her to be associated with the name.
Mother, wife, cowgirl, model, actress, stuntwoman, inspiration—Bobbi Jeen always tells people, “Dream so big that if even half of it comes true, it’s still amazing!”
(On a side note, yours truly, is very happy and proud to celebrate fifteen wonderful years of marriage to Bobbi Jeen Olson this April 24th!)