Ja'Dayia Kursh

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Ja’Dayia Kursh (born 1999) is Arkansas’s first Black rodeo queen and a Western fashion influencer. She grew up in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Her mother was 16 when she was born, and her father was in prison from ages 5 to 13. She first rode a horse at six as part of therapy after a sexual assault.

At 13, she joined rodeo, initially with the Arkansas Seven and later with the Old Fort Days Dandies, becoming only the second Black woman on the drill team. She also played high school football at Fort Smith Northside, the only girl on a team of about 110, playing linebacker and defensive end through her junior year. For her senior year she transferred to Hackett High School, where she was the only Black girl and joined FFA and 4-H. She became the first in her family to graduate from college, earning a BA in interdisciplinary studies from Fulbright College, University of Arkansas, in 2022.

In 2017 she was crowned Miss Rodeo Coal Hill of Arkansas, the first Black rodeo queen in Arkansas history. She was stripped of the title but reinstated in 2020. Essence Magazine highlighted her story in 2019. Since earning her title, she has advocated for diversity in rodeo and mentored younger Black riders.

A social media moment with Wrangler after George Floyd’s murder drew brand attention from Boot Barn, Adidas and others, helping launch her career as a Black influencer in Western fashion. She faced racist online remarks while with the Dandies, which she says motivated her to speak up for diversity. She wished for more minority representation in rodeo when she was younger and later learned about the Bill Pickett Rodeo, which honors Black cowboys.

To push for change, she started the Miss Rodeo Fort Smith Pageant to welcome girls from diverse backgrounds and secured inclusive sponsorships. After raising concerns with Wrangler, the brand took steps toward inclusivity. Kursh founded Ag For Kids, a nonprofit that teaches children about farming, animals and where food comes from. Her work was featured on Arkansas PBS’s Good Roots, which covers rural life, agriculture, health care and the economy.