Today we’d like to introduce you to Karlee Peterson.
Hi Karlee, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born and raised in Sturgis, South Dakota, in a family deeply rooted in horses and rodeo. Both of my parents worked full-time jobs, and on the side we trained and sold horses to fund our rodeo lifestyle. I’m the middle of three girls, and our childhood was spent almost entirely outside or on the road—at rodeos & horse sales. My parents were respected horsemen who understood not only how to train horses, but how to market them and do business the right way. Those early lessons—work ethic, integrity, and people skills—have carried through every stage of my career.
Through frequent travel, I became fascinated by people, marketing, and how relationships drive business. In high school, I was heavily involved in Teen Court, which sparked an interest in the legal system and initially led me to believe I would pursue law, ideally working with marketing or business-focused firms.
I accepted a full-ride rodeo scholarship to the University of Wyoming, where I pursued a degree in Marketing. As a freshman, I qualified for the National College Finals Rodeo in goat tying. My sophomore year, after not qualifying, I was offered an internship—coincidentally in television production. I grew up barely watching TV, but I knew rodeo, the athletes, and the animals inside and out. That internship opened my eyes to the power of television and storytelling, and I immediately knew I wanted to work behind the scenes, building productions from the ground up.
That opportunity led to more than I could have anticipated. The same production company took me to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas later that year. By my senior year of college, I had built enough industry relationships that I arranged my class schedule to work events nearly every weekend. In the spring of my senior year, I received a call asking if I would move to Fort Worth, Texas, to help launch a new network—The Cowboy Channel.
I skipped my college graduation and moved to Texas in June 2019 as one of the network’s first employees. We didn’t even have a finished studio when we aired our first broadcast—Cheyenne Frontier Days in July 2019. In 2020, The Cowboy Channel secured PRCA (Professional Cowboy Rodeo Association) media rights, and shortly thereafter, the world shut down. Keeping a 24/7 network alive with no live rodeos required creativity and adaptability. Under the guidance of founder Patrick Gottsch and GM Jeff Medders, we navigated that period and emerged stronger. When rodeo returned—first in Cave Creek, Arizona in May 2020, and later with the NFR relocating to Arlington, Texas—we were ready.
From 2021 forward, the network hit full stride, producing initiatives like 100 Rodeos in 100 Days, where we covered more than 140 rodeos, 427 rodeo performances & over 1,000 hours of live programming in that100 Days. Viewership and rodeo attendance grew year after year.
In 2022, I stepped away from The Cowboy Channel to join Bass Pro Shops, where I produced large-scale photo shoots and national commercial projects, including Super Bowl advertising. It was an exceptional experience working within a world-class brand—one I genuinely enjoyed. Ultimately, my passion for live television and storytelling brought me back to The Cowboy Channel in early 2023.
In May 2024, we lost our founder and owner, Patrick Gottsch. In the months that followed, the network was already in the process of negotiating a sale, which was finalized that fall. While it was a positive and stable transition for the company, it also became a moment of personal clarity for me. At 28 years old, I recognized I still had a lifetime ahead of me for leadership, and chose to spend this stage of my career doing what I love most—producing live rodeo in the field.
In May 2025, I left The Cowboy Channel to pursue freelance production full time. Since then, I’ve produced major rodeo events in professional stadiums across North America, including Petco Park in San Diego, Chase Field in Phoenix, Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, and upcoming productions at the Caesars Superdome. I’ve also expanded into reality television and specialty projects.
Today, I’m focused on producing live rodeo, telling meaningful stories, and staying deeply connected to the Western industry that shaped me.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Very few things in life are smooth, and almost nothing in television goes according to plan. There are too many variables. Something is always changing, breaking, or getting in the way, and you either adjust or you don’t last.
I’m a big believer in not limiting yourself, especially when you’re young. One of the worst things you can do is say, “I want that job.” When you get that narrow, you miss so many opportunities along the way—with no guarantee you’ll ever get that job anyway. I try to think like an engineer: there are a million and one ways to fix something. That applies to TV, people, and life in general.
You also have to get comfortable hearing “no.” Projects get passed on. Budgets don’t work. A show you’re proud of doesn’t move forward. Even your job title can change week to week. I’ve learned that “no” stands for new options.
Being a young woman in a high-level leadership role added another layer. It takes a lot of discipline and self-awareness. You don’t get the luxury of being unprepared, overly emotional, or sloppy. How you show up matters—how you speak, how you dress, how you handle pressure. I’ve always been very intentional about presenting myself as a professional and earning respect through consistency.
When things aren’t working—or you’re in a tough stretch—you have to step back and look at the 30,000-foot view. Are you actually setting yourself up to succeed, or are you running on stress, poor sleep, and bad habits? Are you helping your team, or creating chaos because you’re not organized? You have to be honest with yourself. If you’re not hard on yourself, you won’t grow.
Everyone has obstacles. Some seasons are harder than others. At the end of the day, it’s on you whether you work through them—or let them sink you.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in Western industry production—primarily live rodeo television. That’s where my experience is deepest and where I do my best work. I’m most widely known for my years at The Cowboy Channel, helping launch and grow the first network to air rodeo year-round. That period shaped how modern rodeo production operates and raised the bar for how the sport is presented on television.
I’m also known for my work with major rodeo productions including The Hondo Rodeo, the Canadian Finals Rodeo, the San Diego Rodeo, and branded storytelling series like our work with Resistol Hats. Rodeo production is what I love, and it’s what I’m directly tied to.
What I’m most proud of is the trust people place in my work. When I decided to go freelance, I was nervous—either it was going to work, or it wasn’t. Seeing how many committees and companies wanted to work with me directly, not because of a network name but because of me and my work, meant everything. That was the moment I realized I could truly stand on my own.
What sets me apart is how I show up. When someone hires me, they know I will give everything I have to the project. I work hard to set the entire team up to succeed. I lead with kindness and humility, but also with confidence and accountability. I’m consistent—I’m the same person every day—and I care deeply about making every show I touch a success.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
An endless amount of people. What’s been especially meaningful to me is that my mentors have changed with each season of my life—and I think a lot of people can relate to that. Different stages required different kinds of guidance, and I’ve been incredibly lucky in that regard.
It starts with my parents. Growing up, they put me on a path that almost guaranteed success—not by handing us anything, but by being incredibly intentional about the lessons they taught us. Work ethic, discipline, integrity, and how to carry yourself mattered in our house. Looking back, I realize just how strategic they were in preparing us girls for life, and I’m grateful for that every day.
In my younger years, especially during internships and early career moments, David Glodt and Maria Prekeges were a lifeline. They believed in me more than I believed in myself at the time. Having mentors like that at 18—people willing to invest time, trust, and confidence before I had much to prove—was rare, and it shaped how I approach mentoring others today.
At The Cowboy Channel, I was led daily by Patrick Gottsch and Jeff Medders. Patrick, our founder and owner—and the founder of RFD-TV—was a true entrepreneur. He believed anything was possible and led the company with that mindset. No one and nothing was slowing us down. He was a cowboy at heart and lived by his values. Your word mattered. Your handshake mattered. That example left a lasting impression on how I do business.
Jeff Medders brought steadiness, experience, and leadership at moments when it mattered most. Watching how he handled pressure, people, and long-term vision taught me a great deal about what real leadership looks like.
After The Cowboy Channel, I leaned on many people, but one who stands out is Joe Loverro. Joe hired me originally back in 2019, and few people understand people and situations the way he does. His ability to connect, communicate, and navigate complex dynamics has taught me an incredible amount over the years, and I still carry those lessons with me.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karlee_peterson/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karlee.peterson.5/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlee-peterson-098683a2/
Image Credits
N/A.
