Horse sense: Austrian helps city slickers become cowgirls and cowboys
Austrian Sigrid Winkler has lived abroad for nearly half of her life with most of this period spent in China. After a career supporting foreign companies to prosper in the Chinese market, she decided to take her passion of horseback riding a step further.
Austrian Sigrid Winkler founded City Cowboys, which offers horseback riding in a natural environment, with a focus on safety and learning, all only a short drive from Shanghai's city center.
Before we talk about your brand City Cowboys – would you please introduce yourself?
I originally come from a small village in the Austrian countryside, but always liked to explore what else is out there in this big wide world. I have lived abroad for nearly half my life, and most of this period in China. For me, China is probably the country most different from the world I grew up in. After a PhD in Political Science and a career supporting foreign companies to prosper in the Chinese market, I eventually decided to take my passion a step further: horseback riding.
Why, after living in Shanghai for a few years, did you decide to strike out on your own to build your own company?
Horses have been a constant throughout my life, I started riding when I was a teenager. In China, I bought my own first horse. At the same time, I went to all corners of this country for horseback travel. This enabled me to discover incredible landscapes and warm-hearted people, often from ethnic minorities. While our coaches on these travels were usually fantastic riders themselves, they often had little experience in how to pass on their knowledge to their customers.
Therefore I started to give lessons on my own horse to friends who were interested in such travels, and soon discovered that there was a demand for trail riding in Shanghai. Especially after the pandemic, lots of people developed a big hunger to experience nature. This is what City Cowboys offers: horseback riding in a natural environment, with a focus on safety and learning – and all that only a short car-ride away from Shanghai's city center.
The ranch is located at the shore of the Yangtze River, right outside Shanghai's city borders in Qidong, Jiangsu Province.
What makes Shanghai's business environment so remarkable?
It is exceptional how open people are here to new experiences and adventures. Everybody is working so hard from Monday to Friday, so on the weekend, they want to savor their free time and do something special. Lots of our clients had no previous riding experience, came for a try-out, loved it and are now coming back regularly. I am very happy that I have the privilege to pass on my passion to so many other people.
What are you trying to bring to the local community?
For my customers, I am creating an escape from their busy lives to reconnect with nature and step into a different world, if only for one day. For me, horseback riding is like meditation or mindfulness practice. It is important to understand that horses are not machines that function in a certain way when you push a button. Riding is a two-way communication with your horse: You need your mind to zoom in and get an emotional connection to your horse.
When you understand that they all have different personalities, you learn how they individually react to changes in your body posture or even in your thinking. If you are anxious, the chances are high that your horse will not be compliant, but if you are relaxed and confident, you can successfully interact with your magnificent animal. While riding you have to be completely in the moment.
Natural Horsemanship is the conceptual foundation of City Cowboys to ensure a stress-free and safe riding adventure for both rider and horse.
The goal for Sigrid Winkler is that both rider and horse have an enjoyable yet safe experience together.
What was the moment that made you most proud?
Seeing the progress of my customers. We are not a traditional horse stable, that first has you doing hundreds of boring lessons in a small sandy square. From day one, we take our customers into the wild, adapt our rides to their capabilities and teach on the go what they need to know in order to work well with their horse. The goal is that both rider and horse have an enjoyable yet safe experience together. Many of my riders started at zero and, after a couple of rides, they have become confident cowboys and cowgirls. We are teaching joy!
What are you working on?
I find having my own business extremely inspiring and always work on a number of ideas in parallel. At the moment, my priority is on offering team building. We provide a "Mongolian" experience without having to travel for thousands of kilometers.
Horseback riding is of course in the center of our service offering. Additionally, I also have developed a number of outdoor games which do not involve horses and help bring together your team to share a sense of achievement. This is topped off with an appropriately themed culinary experience like grilling a whole lamb together with our customers.
Who is a female role model that inspires you?
There is not one single female role model for me. Rather I am constantly on the look-out for women who climbed the career ladder, founded their own businesses, or otherwise followed their passions. For me, the most interesting is not to learn about them, but to identify such women in my network and learn directly from them.
Do you have any advice for women entrepreneurs?
Women often doubt themselves. For all the women with big dreams out there: Don't listen to any discouraging voices, inside your head or from your environment. You are capable of so much more than you think! Instead look for people who inspire you, help you to overcome challenges, and broaden your horizon. You can and will do it!
