McNicholas Miniatures with Audra McNicholas

Photo courtesy of Rebecca Bonner

Horsewomen throughout history have aptly been characterized as strong, determined and brave. All three of these descriptions certainly apply to Audra McNicholas. However, this cowgirl and former Miss Rodeo Colorado 2009 is forging her own path forward as a woman, mother and equestrian. The current trustee of the National Western Stock Show and former chairwoman of Citizen of the West founded McNicholas Miniatures in 2018.

About twice a week, McNicholas and her team of diminutive equines make community visits to nursing homes, hospitals and schools, focused on sharing the therapeutic gifts that horses have bestowed on her life with others. The mother of three and former teacher felt there was a great need for healing, especially coming out of the COVID pandemic. “It became really clear how many people in our society struggle with mental health,” she says. “Basically, everybody, to some extent—it doesn’t matter who you are—is fighting some kind of battle.” McNicholas sees the great power that animals have to show love and kindness.” “It does not matter what economic status, what nationality, what religion you choose, what sexual preference you have. They are there. They show you love regardless.”

Photo courtesy of Rebecca Bonner

She and her horses are often called to the scene of tragedies, such as the Boulder King Soopers shooting in 2021, or to help comfort first-responders when they’ve lost one of their own. They also volunteer with Make-A-Wish for one-on-one visits. “One of the little boys who we got really close to ended up passing, and he was just such a little light. His mom said, ‘He’s in so much pain at this point of his cancer journey, but when you come to our home, he can smile, and just for a little while he forgets how sick he is.’ It was such a gift to be able to give that to him,” says McNicholas.

Although she describes her journey as one without much of a road map, she knew her background could help. “Horses were always my gift. Horses were the thing I was most proud of because I could get on anything, I could ride anything. To this day, when I’m feeling stressed or overwhelmed, my happy place is my horses.”

Growing up in Glenwood Springs, McNicholas started rodeoing in high school—and only stopped when interning for her teaching degree prevented it. Soon after, she was given her rodeo-queen title and met her now husband, Sean, at a Rockies game where he was throwing out the first ball.

Photo courtesy of Audra McNicholas

They now share a small farm in Greenwood Village, raising three children among the little and big equines, goats, chickens, cats and a miniature pig. McNicholas is up at 6:30 a.m. for barn chores every morning, and usually she’s the one behind the tractor. Not only do her kids share her love of horses, but her husband also has joined the equestrian ranks as well. “He never grew up riding or anything, but when you marry a cowgirl, it,ss not really an option,” she says.

McNicholas’ first equine therapy partner was a little filly named Love Bug. She credits time spent volunteering at nursing homes and her teaching background, along with all of her 4-H and horse experience, with giving her the knowledge needed to successfully train Love Bug, along with two other therapy horses since. In addition to being “potty trained,” the horses are taught to navigate slippery hard floors, soft floors, elevators, steps and general chaos. “Having three wild children is great for minis because they used to pull them behind their little Barbie car and their scooters. It’s funny because people are always asking, ‘How did you get them so calm?’ I’m like, ‘Oh, my house is chaos, that’s why,’” says McNicholas. Three-year-old Hunny B proved herself a pro recently, dealing with a roaring crowd as she was named “Junior Thunder” at a Broncos game.

Photo courtesy of Audra McNicholas

Lovebug, undoubtedly the dutiful and delightful star of the team, was named the first official ambassador of the National Western Stock Show in 2020. She also was the first of McNicholas’ horses to be named an officer with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Patrol. McNicholas suffered the sudden loss of the 8-year-old mare in September. “It definitely changes things when your staple, your foundation, is gone, but we’re pushing through.”

Never missing a beat, McNicholas and her two other miniatures have continued on with the visits, amid hundreds of personal messages of condolence from the communities they’ve touched. A week later, she and Hunny B were back on the job reading a book about Love Bug to students in Arapahoe County. “It’s hard for me, but it’s important that I show up and I continue, if anything, to honor Love Bug and her commitment.”