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Sunil Gavaskar drops wild theory about Josh Hazlewood's 'strange' withdrawal from second Test
Policy-as-Code: WTF Is It?As one of the leading providers of a 24/7 autonomous smart store, VenHub has introduced and developed a solution with the potential to transform how consumers interact with technology in retail environments. Powered by proprietary software and unique robotics arms technology, VenHub's product offering can provide a seamless customer experience. Manufactured by a leader in the global robotics industry, the innovative robotic arms technology can differentiate VenHub from traditional retail solutions and well-positions the Company in the automated retail space. Additionally, VenHub's cutting edge vision system adds precision and reliability to its product offering, and the efficiency and security of the Smart Stores are enabled by VenHub's intellectual property portfolio. Founded in 2023, VenHub is addressing challenges facing traditional retail stores, including inefficient inventory management, limited hours, high labor costs, and security concerns. The Smart Stores are designed to utilize data-driven inventory management, a self-service delivery system, and advanced security protection, all of which reduce labor costs and collectively enhance sales and growth potential. Through these potential competitive advantages, VenHub has secured over 1,000 customer pre-orders across 48 states, with potential revenue of more than $300 million 1 in pre-order value. This pre-order book demonstrates market confidence in VenHub's smart store technology. VenHub's growth strategy focuses on geographic and store format expansion to meet the growing demand for autonomous retail solutions, as well as product diversification to enhance VenHub's market presence and operational efficiency. The Company's CapEx-light business model has the potential to create value for stakeholders, and its diversified business model with potential for recurring revenue can allow VenHub to achieve its expansion plan. Key Investment Highlights Shahan Ohanessian, Chief Executive Officer of VenHub, commented : "This is day one for VenHub on a larger stage,” Shahan Ohanessian, CEO of VenHub, remarked. "We're at the starting line of what I believe will be a remarkable journey, turning our vision into reality and expanding our reach on a global scale. We're not just joining the market; we're aiming to pioneer a new frontier in smart retail that enhances how businesses and consumers connect.” Mike Minnick, Chief Executive Officer of TGAA, added : "We are excited to partner with Shahan and the VenHub team. VenHub's efficient, capital-light business model, combined with strong near-term projected positive cash flow generation, positions the Company for sustainable growth. This approach enables strategic expansion into multiple geographic markets while leveraging internally generated cash flow and maintaining disciplined resource allocation.” Proposed Business Combination Overview The Proposed Business Combination implies a pro forma enterprise value of $715 million, which assumes an estimated equity value of $650 million, $26 million in new cash to the balance sheet (assuming 100% redemptions by TGAA public shareholders), and $0.6 million in existing cash. The Proposed Business Combination is expected to provide net cash to VenHub of up to $14 million to support VenHub's continued geographic expansion and product diversification. Cash proceeds raised will consist of TGAA's approximately $20.4 million cash in trust, net of redemptions. The cash in the TGAA trust account is anticipated to support the Company's growth capital needs, including VenHub's production, marketing and sales efforts. It is intended that 100% of existing VenHub stockholders will roll over their equity and, assuming no redemptions and full rollover, own approximately 89% of the pro forma equity of the combined company in connection with the transaction. The Proposed Business Combination has been approved by the boards of directors of both VenHub and TGAA and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2025, subject to shareholder approvals and other customary closing conditions. For a summary of the material terms of the Proposed Business Combination, as well as a supplemental investor presentation, please see the Current Report on Form 8-K filed today by TGAA with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC”). Additional information about the Proposed Business Combination will be described in TGAA's proxy statement relating to the Proposed Business Combination, which it will file with the SEC. Advisors Cohen & Company Capital Markets, a division of J.V.B. Financial Group, LLC, is serving as the exclusive financial advisor, capital markets advisor and placement agent to VenHub. Smith Eilers PLLC is serving as legal counsel to VenHub. Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP is serving as legal counsel to TGAA. Travers Thorp Alberga is serving as legal counsel to TGAA with respect to Cayman Islands law. About VenHub VenHub Global, Inc., f/k/a Autonomous Solutions, Inc., a Delaware corporation, is reshaping the retail industry with its groundbreaking autonomous and robotic-operated Smart Stores. Leveraging advanced AI and smart inventory management systems, VenHub offers a seamless shopping experience that operates 24/7. This approach not only increases revenue but also significantly reduces operational costs compared to traditional retail setups. VenHub's modular design allows for quick installation and easy customization to meet a wide range of consumer needs. The company operates across three main retail formats: fixed Smart Stores for permanent locations, mobile Smart Stores for flexibility and broader accessibility, and innovative solutions that upgrade existing retail spaces and shopping centers into advanced Smart Shopping environments. With its forward-thinking strategy, VenHub is poised to transform the retail landscape, providing an efficient and accessible shopping experience that anticipates the future of commerce. About Target Global Acquisition I Corp. TGAA Acquisition I Corp. is a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Island exempted company and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. TGAA's units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants trade on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbols "TGAAU,” "TGAA,” and "TGAAW” respectively. Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes "forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the "safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. TGAA's and VenHub's actual results may differ from their expectations, estimates and projections and consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Words such as "expect,” "estimate,” "project,” "budget,” "forecast,” "anticipate,” "intend,” "plan,” "may,” "will,” "could,” "should,” "believes,” "predicts,” "potential,” "continue,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, TGAA's and VenHub's expectations with respect to future performance and anticipated financial impacts of the Proposed Business Combination, the satisfaction of the closing conditions to the Proposed Business Combination and the timing of the completion of the Proposed Business Combination. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results. Most of these factors are outside TGAA's and VenHub's control and are difficult to predict. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to: (1) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Business Combination Agreement, (2) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against TGAA and VenHub following the announcement of the Business Combination Agreement and the transactions contemplated therein; (3) the inability to complete the Proposed Business Combination, including due to failure to obtain approval of the shareholders of TGAA or other conditions to closing in the Business Combination Agreement; (4) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the Business Combination Agreement or could otherwise cause the Proposed Business Combination to fail to close; (5) the amount of redemption requests made by TGAA's shareholders; (6) the inability to obtain or maintain the listing of the post-business combination company's common stock on the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC following the Proposed Business Combination; (7) the risk that the Proposed Business Combination disrupts current plans and operations as a result of the announcement and consummation of the Proposed Business Combination; (8) the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the Proposed Business Combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth profitably and retain its key employees; (9) costs related to the Proposed Business Combination; (10) changes in applicable laws or regulations; (11) the possibility that VenHub or the combined company may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; and (12) other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in the proxy statement relating to the Proposed Business Combination, including those under "Risk Factors” and "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” which will be set forth in a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (the "Registration Statement”) to be filed by TGAA and the Company and in TGAA's other filings with the SEC. Some of these risks and uncertainties may be amplified by future events and there may be additional risks that we consider immaterial or which are unknown. It is not possible to predict or identify all such risks. TGAA cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. TGAA cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. TGAA does not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based . Additional Information and Where to Find It This press release relates to a proposed transaction between the Company and TGAA. This document does not constitute an offer to sell or exchange, or the solicitation of an offer to buy or exchange, any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, sale or exchange would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act. TGAA and the Company intend to file a registration statement on Form S-4 that will include a proxy statement/prospectus of TGAA. The proxy statement/prospectus will be sent to all TGAA shareholders. TGAA also will file other documents regarding the proposed transaction with the SEC. Before making any voting decision, investors and security holders of TGAA are urged to read the registration statement, the proxy statement/prospectus and all other relevant documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction as they become available because they will contain important information about the proposed transaction. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the registration statement and all other relevant documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC by TGAA through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. In addition, the documents filed by TGAA may be obtained free of charge from TGAA's website at https://tgacquisition1.com/ or by written request to TGAA at: Target Global Acquisition I Corp., PO Box 10176, Governor's Square 23, Lime Tree Bay Avenue, Grand Cayman KY1-1102, Cayman Islands. Participants in the Solicitation TGAA and the Company and their respective directors and officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from TGAA's shareholders in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about TGAA's directors and executive officers and their ownership of TGAA's securities is set forth in TGAA's filings with the SEC. Additional information regarding the interests of those persons and other persons who may be deemed participants in the proposed transaction may be obtained by reading the proxy statement/prospectus regarding the proposed transaction when it becomes available. You may obtain free copies of these documents as described in the preceding paragraph. No Offer or Solicitation This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation to purchase any security of TGAA, VenHub or any of their respective affiliates. No such offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act, or an exemption therefrom. The contents of this press release have not been reviewed by any regulatory authority in any jurisdiction. INVESTMENT IN ANY SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SEC OR ANY OTHER REGULATORY AUTHORITY NOR HAS ANY AUTHORITY PASSED UPON OR ENDORSED THE MERITS OF THE OFFERING OR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE. Investor Relations Contact [email protected] 888-585-4999 Wire Service Contact : IBN Los Angeles, California www.InvestorBrandNetwork.com 310.299.1717 Office [email protected] 1 Grand View Research, "GVR Report cover Convenience Stores Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Type (Cigarettes & Tobacco, Foodservice, Packaged Beverages, Center Store, Low Alcoholic Beverages), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2028”, May 2022 2 Based on management estimates. As of September 30, 2024.
Jonathan Kitchen In the summer of 2023 I believed that Quaker Chemical ( NYSE: KWR ) was offering a mixed bag for investors. While I believed that more earnings upside was seen, the company has only been posting flattish earnings amidst falling sales here, due If you like to see more ideas, please subscribe to the premium service "Value in Corporate Events" here and try the free trial. In this service we cover major earnings events, M&A, IPOs and other significant corporate events with actionable ideas. Furthermore, we provide coverage of situations and names on request! The Value Investor has a Master of Science with specialization in financial markets and a decade of experience tracking companies via catalytic company events. Value In Corporate Events Learn more Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
House Democrats mock Americans ‘who couldn’t afford eggs’ over Black Friday spendingDenver’s latest proposed ban on flavored vapes, other tobacco products advances with new exemptionBleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe. Reed vs. Rollins Was Reportedly Scheduled for SNME Match Before Injury WWE reportedly had to pivot away from a planned Saturday Night's Main Event match due to an injury suffered by Bronson Reed. According to PWInsider.com (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News), original plans called for Reed and Seth Rollins to culminate their feud with a rubber match at Saturday Night's Main Event, but Reed is not medically cleared to compete. Reed made a high-risk dive off the top of the cage during a WarGames match at Survivor Series, but CM Punk moved Roman Reigns out of the way, resulting in an awkward landing for Reed. It was then announced on last week's episode of SmackDown that Reed suffered a broken foot on the move, and Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News) reported that he is expected to be out for months. Per PWInsider, the Rollins vs. Reed match was replaced by Drew McIntyre vs. Sami Zayn, which was announced this week on Raw. On last week's episode of Raw, McIntyre made a surprise return after being out for the past couple of months by taking out Zayn with a Claymore Kick. Although McIntyre vs. Zayn is a strong replacement, being without Reed for an extended period of time is a major blow to WWE since he was establishing himself as one of the top heels in the company. Cargill Reportedly Dealing with Undisclosed Injury Amid confusion regarding Jade Cargill's status, a new report suggests that she is indeed dealing with an injury. According to Meltzer (h/t Carrier ), "someone high on the food chain" in WWE confirmed that Cargill is injured and has been seeing doctors during her absence from WWE programming. A few weeks ago on SmackDown, Cargill was shown laid out on the hood of a car. She was taking away in an ambulance and the identity of her attacker remains a mystery. Due to the injury, Cargill had to be removed from the women's WarGames match at Survivor Series, and she was subsequently replaced by Bayley. Following the injury angle, PWInsider.com (h/t PWMania ) reported that the Cargill injury was not legitimate and was part of a storyline, which led to even more uncertainty regarding where she truly stood. Before his most recent report, Meltzer (h/t PWMania ) reported that there were multiple stories making the rounds about Cargill, ranging from an actual injury to a storyline to a cover for a "political backstage issue." Current indications are that Cargill is indeed injured, although the nature of the injury and the timeline for her return are unclear. Cargill was establishing herself as one of WWE's top female Superstars, and she was one half of the WWE women's tag team champions with Bianca Belair, who is still in possession of the titles. WWE would undoubtedly love to have Cargill back soon with the Royal Rumble in February and WrestleMania 41 in April on the horizon, and she will provide a huge boost to the women's division when she returns. Tonga Loa Reportedly Undergoes Surgery Bloodline member Tonga Loa has already undergone surgery to repair a torn biceps suffered at Survivor Series: WarGames, according to Meltzer (h/t H Jenkins of Ringside News). WWE announced Loa's injury last week on SmackDown, along with Reed's broken foot and Jimmy Uso's broken toe. The WarGames match between the new Bloodline and OG Bloodline was a highly physical and dangerous affair as evidenced by the fact that 30 percent of the competitors in the match suffered some kind of injury. Meltzer (h/t Mukherjee ) reported earlier this week that Loa required surgery and would be out an estimated seven to eight months. Loa, 41, was originally under contract with WWE from 2009 to 2014 under the names Donny Marlow and Camacho, but after his release from the company, he made a splash in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Teaming with his brother, Tama Tonga, Loa became a seven-time IWGP tag team champion, which put him back on WWE's radar. WWE brought in both Tonga Loa and Tama Tonga this year to be part of the new Bloodline, and they have made an instant impact, already holding the WWE Tag Team Championships once. With Loa out for the foreseeable future, the new Bloodline is down to only three healthy members in Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu and Tama Tonga. Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below.It’s every cowboy’s dream, encased in glass in front of the South Point gift shop. Judy Wagner eyes a gleaming gold belt buckle the size of a large man’s fist. Etched into its face: An image of two horse-riders lassoing a steer amid bejeweled, ornamental swirls, a gritty scene preserved in glamour. “Pro Rodeo Cowboys Assn 2024 World Champion Header” it reads. The buckle looks laser-cut, such is the attention to detail inherent in each crevice, each minute flourish — look closely enough, and you can see the steer’s ribs. (A magnifying glass helps). And yet every step in its creation — the pantagraphing, fabricating, soldering, polishing and engraving — is all done by hand over the course of four to six weeks, meaning each buckle is like a set of artisanal fingerprints: no two are alike. Every year, hundreds of rodeo competitors spend thousands of hours in pursuit of this very thing, a wearable trophy awarded to National Finals Rodeo champions, created by renowned Western jewelry and buckle company Montana Silversmiths. And Wagner will be there again Saturday night when the buckles are awarded to the All-Around Champion and other winners. “With the National Finals Rodeo and the influx of people into Las Vegas at this time, it’s all about the buckle for these cowboys,” Wagner explains, “because they will go throughout the year in hopes of gaining the opportunity of competing here. “And then that culmination is the gold buckle that states that they are the world champion,” she continues. “It truly is a pinnacle in our sport.” Wagner would know: As the former chief marketing officer for Montana Silversmiths, she presented the buckles to NFR winners for over two decades before retiring last year, and was instrumental in securing the company’s partnership with NFR, which dates back to 2000. With NFR back in town, so is Wagner, albeit under a different guise: she’s the subject of a new short documentary “Good Job, Cowgirl: The Judy Wagner Story,” which premiered at the South Point last week and will debut on the Cowboy Channel in the near future. The film chronicles Wagner’s lengthy, pioneering career in all-things Western culture, from ranch cowgirl to rodeo competitor to 4-H extension agent to entrepreneur. In a field traditionally dominated by men, Wagner’s a true trailblazer, having founded her own rope business and helped elevate Montana Silversmiths from a once-small company to a big name in the Western industry that’s become synonymous with NFR. “When I think of a cowgirl, and if I were to look it up in the dictionary, I feel like there should be a picture of Judy Wagner, because she is all of those things,” says Kiki Shumway, president of the Miss Rodeo America Pageant, in the documentary. “She’s everything about our Western culture and promoting and being a positive mentor to young women.” Among these many young women: Maegan Taylor, the director of team marketing for the Arizona Ridge Riders at Professional Bull Riders. “She taught me how to be a cowgirl, ” Taylor says in the film. “Anything that I do, I can be strong, I can be tough, I can work hard. That’s just what cowgirls do.” Origins of an ethos She pushes herself away from the table, arms outstretched, and grips an imaginary horse. Judy Wagner’s in the South Point sportsbook, recalling the origins of a phrase she’s become synonymous with: “Nice job, cowgirl;’ ‘Nice job, cowboy.’” Years ago, Wagner was volunteering as a sidewalker for a developmentally disabled class in her native Montana. One day, she was working with a woman who embraced her horse prior to dismounting. “She put her arms around this horse’s neck,” McFarland recalls, re-enacting the woman’s movements, “and laid her ear into it. Her voice was so angelic, she just said, ‘Nice job, cowboy. Nice job.’ And it went into my heart right then. “I still get shivers when I hear it — right now, I got it right now,” she continues, shoulders shuddering. “And it was like, I can’t imagine a better compliment.” For Wagner, who takes great pride in mentoring others in tasks both big (working as a high school rodeo teacher) and small (helping rodeo pageant contestants with their speeches), this compliment became a part of her persona, a way to offer a little bit of encouragement online or in person, a verbal pat-on-the-back for anyone who might need one. “When I first did it, I was, like, typing it out, and I go, ‘Oh, they’re gonna think this is corny,’” Wagner says. “And then I went, ‘No, it’s my highest compliment,” I heard it, I know how it feels. It means something to each one of us as we’re out there trying in our daily lives.” For filmmaker Natalie McFarland, who directed “Nice Job, Cowgirl,” the phrase is an encapsulation of who Wagner is — and a natural title for her documentary, which she began filming at last year’s NFR, interviewing over 30 subjects and compiling hundreds of hours of footage. “If you get that, ‘nice job cowboy, nice job cowgirl,’ you’re doing something right,” she says, sitting across from Wagner. “So we wanted to take everything that Judy had poured into others, which is recognizing them when they do well, and pour it back into her. Because even though it’s her statement, s he is ‘ nice job cowgirl,’ you know?” A natural born cowgirl The oldest of eight siblings, Wagner grew up on a ranch in Avon, Wyoming, where she was expected to toil just as hard as the boys. “I worked on the ranch with my brothers,” Wagner recalls. “I roped with them. I didn’t know there was a difference.” After attending college to become a 4-H extension agent, Wagner and her husband Alvin started a rope company, Gator Ropes, in 1987. Wagner launched the business in the garage, tying ropes in her basement. Back then, she was wary of calling attention to the fact the company was helmed by a woman, considering how male-centric the industry was. “I didn’t feel comfortable at that time letting everybody know that a woman ran it,” Wagner acknowledges. “A lot of times that was kept secret — or not secret, but I didn’t promote it.” What she did promote was her brand — brilliantly. Though she had no marketing background, Wagner developed some then-novel innovations to build her business, adding two feet to the head rope, naming the ropes and creating a cartoon Gator mascot especially popular with the kids. “Even though I knew nothing really about marketing, I’ve just grown into it,” Wagner says. “It was just telling stories and doing things of value and having fun. Those names, the Intimidator, Instigator, and creating these characters brought it to life. So people would just come to our brand.” And that they did — in droves. “One of my favorite things was a Gator Rope,” recalls Coleman Proctor, one of the top-ranked professional ropers in the world, in “Good Job, Cowgirl.” “Each different style of rope was named, and it all came with a little Gator key chain. I mean, I didn’t even have keys, but I wanted that Gator key chain. I’d be so excited every time we’d go get a Gator rope.” Perhaps most significantly, Gator was also the first rope company to secure an endorsement deal with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and put brand patches on rodeo competitors. “That gets guys down the road now,” McFarland says of the endorsement money generated from said patches. “The fact that Judy started that is a major industry change. That is revolutionary.” It would also foreshadow her success with Montana Silversmiths, where she was hired to be the director of marketing in 2000 after she and her husband sold Gator Ropes. Time to lasso a new challenge. ‘Every buckle has a story’ “It’s business card. A cowboy business card.” Judy Wagner’s talking about belt buckles. “It’s something you can tell about somebody from a long ways away, where they’re from, what they’re passionate about — everything about them — just by looking at their buckle,” she explains, her voice as bright as her attire is dark, dressed head-to-toe in black. “If you want to talk to a cowboy, sometimes they want to talk, and sometimes they don’t,” she continues. “Two things they’ll talk about: their horse and their buckle, and then you can get them to tell you everything about it. Each one has a special meaning to them. Belt buckles are really a part of the culture, the Western lifestyle. It’s an iconic representation of who we are. It speaks to something that is deep inside of you, what your purposes are, what your passion is.” And so Wagner developed a saying, “Every buckle has a story,” which would become a motto for Montana Silversmiths after she joined the company. Wagner also helped trademark the phrase “Brand of champions” for the business. “Nike doesn’t even have the ‘brand of champions,’” she notes with pride. Perhaps most significantly, Wagner worked to secure a sponsorship deal with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and its annual championship, the National Finals Rodeo. Montana Silvermiths has been creating the much-sought-after buckles for NFR ever since. It’s been a game changer. “Her concepts in branding and marketing transformed that little company and took advantage of the PRCA brand and the National Finals Rodeo brand,” says Steve Rempel, former CMO of the PRCA, in the documentary. “(She) really moved that company in a direction that made it well known as the gold standard, if you will, for all things Western in the buckles and jewelry business.” About those buckles: they represent much more than a win. “It’s almost a recognition award in and of itself,” McFarland explains. “It’s not an easy job to cowboy 365 days a year. It’s not like football; it’s not like baseball, where you can sit on the bench and get paid. That’s not true in rodeo. “If you’re not winning, you’re not pulling checks,” she continues. “If you’re not pulling checks, you’re probably not getting down the road. That buckle’s a recognition of all that time, effort, money and brutality on your own body. Those are the most coveted buckles in the Western industry.” ‘She means this’ The movie’s over, but Judy Wagner’s just begun. The lights have come up in the South Point Showroom following the premiere of “Nice Job, Cowgirl,” the venue crowded with well-heeled cowboys in sport coats and jeans and women in sparkling get-ups that glimmer like discoballs, nearly everyone donning a cowboy hat. Wagner takes the stage to address the audience. “Now for the rest of the story, and why I’m really here,” she says, expressing the ambivalence that she once felt about taking part in the documentary. “Seeing your name on a big screen like this, it’s kind of a big deal. And it kind of bothered me. “It’s a true honor,” she continues, “But why was I going to be up here? I couldn’t understand why that was happening to me.” As McFarland notes, Wagner was cool to the project, initially. “She told me, ‘No,’ at first,” remembers McFarland, who also helms McFarland Productions and Off Your Rocker Films and who’s shot promotional clips for Montana Silversmiths in the past. “She’s like, ‘I don’t want this.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, you do.’” What ultimately convinced Wagner to participate in the documentary was a revelation she had while praying: “It’s not about you Judy, it’s about the message.” This message — paying things forward; serving others — lies at the heart of “Good Job, Cowgirl.” “Yes, it’s Judy’s story, yes, it’s based in the Western lifestyle — it’s all those things — but the film is really a story of leadership,” McFarland says. “It’s really a story on mentorship. It’s really a story on looking out for each other. “It’s general concepts that make you better as a person,” she continues. “It doesn’t matter where you are. You could be a stock broker in New York City or a cowgirl out on a ranch. There’s always a piece of leadership, a piece of mentorship, planting a seed, working with others. It’s only going to enrich your own life at the same time as you’re helping others.” McFarland’s passion for mentorship is rooted in tragedy: she cites the passing of her father, who died in a tractor accident when she was 16, with putting her on this path. A few weeks prior to his death, Wagner’s dad told her that he would always be proud of her no matter what she chose to do in life. “Those seven words, ‘I will always be proud of you,’ planted a seed in me,” she recalls in her speech after the premiere. And so Wagner’s spent much of her life attempting to plant them in others, especially her female counterparts. “Every time I have a conversation with her, she talks about helping other women in the industry,” says Ken Amorosano, publisher and CEO of “Cowgirl” magazine, in the film. “She really is not only passionate, but she’s emotional about that. She means this.” “I learned from her,” recalls Tia Bledsoe, Pendleton Brand Heritage Director for Proximo Spirits, in the documentary, “I really felt, like, ‘This is a powerful woman that has a voice,’ and that kind of made me take a step back and realize that I can be a part of this.” And so even though Wagner officially retired from Montana Silversmiths in 2023, she’s as omnipresent as ever at NFR this year, where everyone seems to know her name and associates joke that a five minute walk through a casino becomes a half-hour trek with Wagner in tow due to all the people who come up to greet her. Besides, for Wagner, being a cowgirl has always been less a job than a way of life. You can’t retire from that. “This is really a lifetime sport, a lifetime career,” Wagner says. “I love the Western industry. I love the Western lifestyle. And as far as I’m concerned, I’ll probably be an advocate for it for the rest of my life. “These are my people,” she adds. “This is my world.”