01.02.20 - Features
PBR riders take to catwalk at Peyton’s Project Runway to raise money for Western Sports Foundation
The fashion show and auction, which featured many of the Top 35 bull riders, raised more than $40,000
By Darci Miller
NEW YORK CITY – In July, when Peyton Gay was driving to the Touring Pro Division event in Big Sky, Montana, with her now-husband, five-time PBR World Finals qualifier Gage Gay, a crazy idea popped into her head.
She should put on a fashion show to benefit the Western Sports Foundation.
“I think this was God,” Peyton said. “He put the idea into my head.”
In Big Sky, she brought it up to Aubrey O’Quin, Director of Programs and Operations at the WSF, when the two were on a hike together.
“Just tell me what you think,” Peyton told her. “Just tell me yes or no, right away. It’s just kind of a crazy idea.”
While O’Quin was initially hesitant to take on another large project during such a busy fundraising time for the WSF – PBR World Finals week – the idea itself was a great one, and she agreed.
Three and a half months later, Peyton presented O’Quin and the WSF with a check for $40,650 on behalf of Peyton’s Project Runway.
The fall was an absolute whirlwind of event planning – securing the event space at the South Point Hotel Casino & Spa, lining up sponsors and scheduling models – and in a few hours in Las Vegas, it all paid off.
When the day finally arrived, Peyton was beyond nervous.
“I was sweating bullets,” she said. “I was backstage, I had no idea what my crowd was going to be like, so when I got up onstage to do my first remarks, I was blown away by the people sitting in the chairs and standing in the back.
“The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders kicked it off and got the vibes going right away with their routine, and it all turned out really good. More than I could’ve hoped for.”
The fashion show began with a performance by the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders and, with PBR commentator Matt West as the emcee, PBR riders and their wives walked the runway modeling outfits that were then auctioned off. Models included Chase and Nicole Outlaw, Claudio and Aline Montanha, Cody and Korie Nance, Dakota Buttar and Caitlin Brooks, Cooper and Kaitlin Davis, Matt and Cierra Triplett, Ryan Dirteater and April Roby, and Chad, Sarah and Sadie Berger.
The stars of the show, however, were the smallest – Mack Davis and Bentley Gay received the biggest ovation.
A similar lineup will be on hand in New York City Thursday for the PBR Fashion Show, held at VERSA NYC at 6:30 p.m. and showcasing items from league partners Wrangler, Ariat, Boot Barn and others.
In Las Vegas at Peyton’s Project Runway, it wasn’t just clothes, boots and hats being auctioned off. Also on the auction block were 2020 Global Cup tickets, shirts and chaps signed by PBR riders and a days-long experience in Big Sky.
“I had the best sponsors, the best models and the best help backstage,” Peyton said. “It was not a one-woman show. It took a village, and I had the best village. Absolutely.”
Peyton received sponsorships from mainstream brands including Levi’s, YETI and Cavender’s, as well as brands that come from within the PBR family. Kaitlin Davis’s company Reign Lashes donated items, as did Kaitlin Teel’s shop Teel and Peyton’s mother’s boutique, the Sparkling Spur.
While it was a lot of work pulling the event together – and so quickly – it was worth it to raise money for a cause that Peyton holds near and dear to her heart.
“I’ve just become passionate, because everything I see them do, I just wanted to jump on the bandwagon and be part of it,” she said. “Because what they do, nobody else does this. When the riders get hurt, it’s the Western Sports Foundation that takes care of them. They are the ones who get them in with good doctors when they need it, good trainers, and there’s financial planners that help them. They just want to do everything to help them prepare for the future, and keep them healthy while they’re riding. That’s their main goal, and that’s why I became so passionate.”
Her involvement has led to a close relationship with O’Quin, and the two say they called and emailed each other “millions of times” while coordinating the fashion show.
“I’ve probably talked to her more than I’ve talked to my husband,” O’Quin said with a laugh. “I knew if anybody could pull it off, it would be Peyton, and she did a fantastic job. She definitely was very focused on the models and the fashion, and I think it was a great partnership because she could focus on that, and I could focus on the behind-the-scenes of just kind of executing it all and making sure that her vision came to life.”
Came to life it did, to the tune of more than $40,000 – close to three times Peyton’s goal of $15,000.
“I almost cried! I just couldn’t believe it,” Peyton said. “I wasn’t able to listen to the auction. I couldn’t really hear what the outfits were going for. So I was almost clueless as to what the end result was going to be when I went up onstage to present the check to the Western Sports Foundation.
“When I saw that $40,000, I about choked.”
“Thanks to all the athletes and the wives that supported it, and the people in the crowd,” O’Quin added. “That number would not be what it is if it weren’t for those people.
The two plan for Peyton’s Project Runway to host more fashion shows in 2020, including at World Finals again, but Peyton laughs when she says they’ll do one thing differently this time around.
“We’re starting (planning) in January.”