Queen Of The Crowns: A Short Film Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Legendary Hatmaker Shorty Koger
15-Minute Short Film to Premiere October 1 at the All American Quarter Horse Congress, followed by an open to the public release October 10.
COLUMBUS, OHIO — OCT 1— Queen of the Crowns, a new 15-minute short film celebrating the extraordinary life, artistry and enduring legacy of legendary Western hatmaker Shorty Koger, will make its premiere on October 1, 2026, at the All American Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus, Ohio, presented by the Ohio Quarter Horse Association.
The premiere marks a particularly meaningful homecoming for Koger, who has been a beloved part of the All American Quarter Horse Congress community for more than 20 years. The special screening will take place before a limited audience in the Congress’s new outdoor amphitheater, surrounded by the horsemen and women, competitors, makers and families who have been part of Shorty’s world for decades. The film will be open to the public on October 10, 2026.
Directed by Randy Quartieri and produced by Marcella Barrett and Lili Sutton, Queen of the Crowns is an intimate portrait of one of the American West’s most original and influential craftspeople.
Filmed in and around Koger’s hometown of Fairfax, Oklahoma, the short film returns to the landscape and community that shaped her unmistakable point of view. Through Shorty’s own story, the film explores a life defined by independence, craftsmanship, determination and an unwavering commitment to doing things her own way.
For decades, Koger has been recognized for creating some of the most distinctive cowboy hats in the West. But Queen of the Crowns looks beyond the hats to the woman behind them, her journey, her character, and the grit and creativity that transformed her craft into an enduring legacy.
Queen of the Crowns was originally conceived as part of Window to the West, a film series created to amplify and elevate the stories of the people who have shaped and continue to shape the American West. The series turns its lens toward the makers, artists, and individuals whose lives preserve Western traditions while carrying them forward for a new generation.
“There’s a toughness to Shorty that you notice right away, but underneath it is this incredible tenderness”, said Director Randy Quartieri. “She’s resilient, independent, and completely herself. I really enjoyed the time I got to spend with her, listening to her story, watching her work, and trying to take something as intangible as a person’s life and put it into a film you can feel. I just hope we captured a little piece of who she really is.”
“I met Shorty about six years ago, and we had an immediate connection,” said producer Marcella Barrett. “The more I got to know her, the more extraordinary her story became. I still can’t believe she actually rode a bull, that tells you so much about who she is. She’s fearless, fiercely independent, an entrepreneur and one of the hardest-working cowgirls I know. Shorty built her life and her business with grit, talent and determination. She is a true American original, and her story deserves to be told.”
“Shorty is the kind of person who stays with you long after you leave,” said Lili Sutton. “Her strength, heart, and incredible legacy are impossible not to feel when you’re around her. But what I love most about Shorty is the way she brings people in. Once you’re in Shorty’s circle, you’re blessed forever. She has a way of making the people she loves feel like family, and I feel so grateful to have been welcomed into her world and to have had the chance to help tell a small piece of her story.”
The All American Quarter Horse Congress is a fitting place for the film’s premiere. For more than two decades, Shorty has been a familiar presence at Congress, building relationships and becoming part of the fabric of the event and its Western community. To premiere Queen of the Crowns in a place that has played such an important role in her story brings the film full circle.
At once personal and distinctly American, Queen of the Crowns captures a woman whose influence reaches far beyond Fairfax. Through her work and her life, Shorty Koger has helped define the visual language of the modern West while remaining fiercely connected to the traditions, people and community from which she came.
Queen of the Crowns premieres October 1, 2026, at the All American Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus, Ohio, with a limited number of guests in attendance. The film will be released to the public on October 10, 2026.
ABOUT QUEEN OF THE CROWNS
Queen of the Crowns is a 15-minute short documentary chronicling the life and legacy of legendary Western hatmaker Shorty Koger. Filmed in Fairfax, Oklahoma, the film is directed by Randy Quartieri and produced by Marcella Barrett and Lili Sutton. The film originated as part of Window to the West, a series dedicated to preserving, amplifying and celebrating the people and stories of the American West.
Director: Randy Quartieri
Producers: Marcella Barrett and Lili Sutton
Running Time: 15 minutes
Premiere: October 1, 2026 — All American Quarter Horse Congress, Columbus, Ohio
Public Release: October 10, 2026
ADDITION QUOTES:
“My hope is that this little film has a very big life. I would love to see Queen of the Crowns make its way to New York, Cannes and beyond, so the world can get to know Shorty Koger, one of the most respected cowboy hatmakers of all time. Shorty is a legend, but what makes her story so special is the woman behind the hat. She is incredibly talented, hardworking, funny, fiercely independent and deeply grounded in her family and her faith. She has spent a lifetime making hats by hand, right here in America, and keeping an extraordinary craft alive. I hope her story inspires the next generation of hatmakers to pick up the tools and keep that tradition going. Shorty deserves to be known far beyond the Western world.” — Marcella Barrett, Producer
MEDIA CONTACT
Bobbie Gough. Bobbie@shortyshattery.com
cell 817.233.2584
Marcella Barrett marcellabarrett12@gmail.com
917.453.7078
