FT. WORTH, Tex.–Cherie DeVaux–whose banner 2026 included historic wins in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont Stakes–was inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame on Thursday, Nov. 5.The trainer joined an honor roll that already included Thoroughbred trailblazers like the King Ranch's Helen Groves and jockey Julie Krone. The ceremony for the 50th class was held during a luncheon at Ariat Arena and drew over 1000 attendees.DeVaux entered the Cowgirl Hall of Fame with an Olympic equestrian show jumper, a world champion mounted shooter, a New York fashion designer, a master bootmaker and a physician who is the only female Medal of Honor winner.“It's a great honor to be inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame,” DeVaux told this TDN reporter. “To be alongside the women that I admired growing up is something special. I always have thought of cowgirls as rough and rugged, out doing their thing.”The road to becoming a cowgirl started at an early age for DeVaux when she lived in Florida and her mother let her take over the training of a talented, but high-strung mare named 'Babe,' who not everyone could ride. After making what she calls “tweaks, here and there,” the pair finally synched. They competed in barrel racing and pole bending competitions for some six years.“I loved being a barrel racer before I switched to horse racing,” said DeVaux. “Charmayne James and Martha Josey were legends in that sport. I remember reading about them in magazines. I paid attention to them in my youth and they inspired me.”DeVaux said that she recalls when Charmayne James took a horse from her family's feed lot, saw the gelding's potential and turned him into a multiple champion. His name was Scamper.JNC“To be a barrel racer, number one, you have to be fearless,” she said. “I've had horses flip around the barrel. I've had the saddle break. You have to pick yourself up and dust yourself off. You have to be able to adjust very quickly and try not to knock into that barrel if the horse comes in too fast on the shoulder. When everything goes wrong, you've got to finish your run and make the best of it without panicking.”Tucking those experiences with Babe away, DeVaux said her approach has always been to do what's natural and that just comes from being around horses her whole life.“I really try to not be distracted when horses are training, especially when it comes to our development of 2-year-olds,” DeVaux said. “I just try to watch for little things that may be working for them or may not be working for them.”Of course, she was integral in helping champion Lady Eli (Divine Park) make her return to racing after the horse stepped on a nail and developed a life-threatening case of laminitis, but the list doesn't stop there.DeVaux has touched the lives of all kinds of horses over the years.A recent case in point is when she learned last month that Dark Energy (Giant's Causeway)–one of her first trainees from 2016–was malnourished and had to be rescued from a kill pen.“After an injury we rehabbed him and he was placed with a family who said they would contact us if they couldn't care for him. That's not what happened,” DeVaux said. “We've gone through COVID, all these changes and time marches on.“Still, I feel like it's my obligation, not because I have to, but because that's what's right,” she added. “Dark Energy is safe now and at Rio's Refuge, which is a new rescue.”Trainer Cherie DeVaux addresses the crowd at the Cowgirl HOF induction ceremony | JNCDeVaux said that she and her husband David Ingordo have a handful of horses at their home in Kentucky. They are personally caring for them right now and the former runners are not going to an aftercare facility. DeVaux said she didn't want them taking up spots that could be filled by those horses who are in desperate need of attention.“I always enjoy rehoming and following their careers,” she said. “Whether it's a little kid riding them or they're at top-level eventing or jumping, I get more personal satisfaction out of that. We're responsible for these horses, so if it's on my own dime then that's what we do.”This year, the trainer has expanded her vision by creating a 501(c)(3) non-profit called The Cherie DeVaux Foundation.The two-fold mission is to provide educational scholarships for students who are passionate about pursuing equine industry careers and to support those organizations who protect at-risk Thoroughbreds. The foundation will hold its inaugural fundraiser, called a 'Golden Night at Chophouse 285,' in Englewood, Florida Dec. 3.“Winning the Kentucky Derby was a lifetime achievement, but I don't want that to be the only thing I'm known for,” DeVaux said. “The real measure of success is helping to mold the future by stepping up when it's needed. Giving people the opportunity to be successful and helping to continue the integrity of our sport is my mission.”Cherie DeVaux, the one-time barrel racer who learned to be fearless, is now a member of the Cowgirl Hall of Fame, but her run is far from over.The post Cherie DeVaux Stays True To Herself On The Way To The Cowgirl Hall Of Fame appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.