Who Is Cowboy Kent Rollins' Much Younger Wife, Shannon?

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You may be familiar with Kent Rollins, the culinary cowboy who has stolen the hearts (and stomachs) of many people online through his warm, funny personality and delicious recipes. What many people don't know is that his wife, Shannon Rollins, is a powerhouse in her own right. Although 25 years younger than her husband, Shannon Rollins has managed to be a very present and supportive wife and partner in business, appearing next to him in a lot of his cooking videos and other projects. 

It's quite clear that she plays a vital role in his success, which naturally leads us to ask: Who is Shannon Rollins, and what's her story? We already know some of the tragic details about cowboy Kent Rollins (such as the fire that claimed his house). Join us as we take a closer look at the woman behind the camera — the creative force, the devoted partner, and the business mind whose contributions have helped shape the cowboy Kent Rollins brand. From handling web design and social media to rolling up her sleeves on the ranch, Shannon Rollins' journey is every bit as interesting as the cowboy she stands beside.

Shannon Rollins is originally from Elko, a small town in northeastern Nevada. She basically grew up in this ranching community, although her parents were not ranchers themselves. Her mother worked in education while her father worked in the purchasing department at a gold mine. She attended college in Portland, Oregon, which she says she chose mainly because of the lush Pacific Northwest climate that was in contrast with the semi-arid environs of Elko. 

However, she returned to Elko shortly after completing her bachelor of sciences degree. In an interview with Chris Gregory — a podcast host that she had been mentoring through a content creation workshop for his show — Shannon Rollins says," It was technically a bachelor of science, and it was like a communications degree. It was a journalism, PR, and advertising kind of combo."  She goes on to explain how she initially worked various jobs that had nothing to do with her degree, including being a part of an engine crew for the Bureau of Land Management — which is a firefighting team. She admits though, that her season was relatively quiet, so she didn't get to experience the high-adrenaline moments often associated with firefighting. 

Currently, Shannon Rollins is finally putting her degree to good use as she helps run both the culinary and content side of their business, combining her chuck wagon skills, story telling, and digital media to reach millions of viewers around the world. 

Shannon Rollins met her husband while she was working in Elko, Nevada, for the Western Folklife Center, which hosts the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering each year. Kent Rollins was doing some cooking demonstrations that year, and Shannon Rollins said part of her job was to assist the presenters.

"I was supposed to get the supplies he needed, and he starts talking, and I'm thinking this guy's from a foreign country because I cannot understand a word he's saying. Like, his accent was so thick," she goes on to tell Chris Gregory, who is also the owner of Heartland Horseshoeing School, during their September 2024 interview.

Too shy to admit she didn't understand, Rollins said she simply laughed throughout the phone call. She thinks Kent Rollins likely mistook that as her being charmed by him. During the call, he had asked for crock jars for his sourdough bread demonstration. But when he arrived to do his presentation, Shannon Rollins had 10 crock pots set up and ready to go. Despite the error, they soon became friends and started dating a few years later.

Shannon Rollins and her husband share a passion for cowboy culture. In an interview with Medium, while talking about his love for cowboy culture, Kent Rollins says, " I was very blessed to have a beautiful young woman come along and tell me that, "Hey, I think we can do this together." Based on her active participation in cowboy cooking and lifestyle from her husbands social media pages, it is safe to assume that Shannon Rollins loves the cowboy culture.

The cowboy lifestyle is not something that Shannon simply admires from afar, she literally lives it. In the same interview with Chris Gregory, she highlights how they would travel for miles at a time with their chuck wagon. "It's really hard because everything we have is hot and heavy, and Bertha (which is our wood stove) she's 400 pounds, and you got all your cast iron and you got to cut your wood and then you drive", she said. Shannon stuck with it for three years though, before figuring out a better way to make it work.

”I finally got to a point where I said we have to transition because this is not sustainable", explaining how their YouTube channel started. Her love for cowboy culture is evident not only in the content they produce but in the life she's chosen to build alongside Kent. We have our own respect for cowboy culture too since we have cowboys to thank for chuck wagon stew.

The crazy twist with a romantic, happy ending about Shannon Rollins' life is the fact that she used to hate cooking. In the same interview with Chris Gregory, she says, " I used to hate cooking — I would literally burn water." However, when she met him, all bets were off and she began to fall in love with what he loved as well. This isn't surprising given fact that Kent Rollins himself is a warm and charismatic personality, according to his wife, and finds a way to bring fun to cooking meals. 

Over time, what began as a shared activity became a genuine passion for Shannon Rollins as she is now actively involved in the cooking Red River Ranch Chuck Wagon Cooking School. (Yes, a chuck wagon is the primary classroom.) She's even putting the skills she's learned to use and creating her own recipes.

Her husband told Cowboys & Indians that, "She is a very creative baker; I love her braided French bread. But she really surprised me when she came up with her banana pudding." While we cannot help but wonder if her recipe can beat the absolute best banana pudding in the United States, it's heartwarming to see how love can inspire personal growth in such unexpected ways. Her journey is a beautiful reminder that sometimes, the things we once disliked can become our greatest joys when shared with the right person.

Shannon Rollins' engagement was the stuff that fairytales are made from. During an interview for Cowboys & Indians magazine, Kent Rollins has been quoted saying, "She is my greatest inspiration and the love of my life," and this was evident when he proposed during an airline flight. While they were on a commercial flight, Kent got permission from the pilot to make an announcement for him. 

"I surprised her on a Southwest flight midair. I had the pilot announce that there was a cowboy onboard that had a very important question to ask her. I had written a poem and read it to her. She was so in shock I had to ask her twice before she said yes!" he added. The two went on to get married in an intimate and western-themed ceremony in 2011 , where Shannon wore a beautiful mermaid dress while Kent rocked his cowboy attire. 

Currently, Shannon Rollins and her husband do not have any children together. However, Kent has a son from a previous relationship and a grandchild — making them both proud grandparents. Their grandson occasionally appears in their YouTube videos, meaning that they probably get babysitting duty quite a lot. It is not clear why they do not have any children as they seem to have kept that aspect of their lives private. The couple also used to have two dogs that they loved very much before one called Bonehead passed away a few years back. 

Even though they do not have any children in their home, Shannon and Kent Rollins have built a really beautiful life together, which is clearly very rich, fulfilling and centered around their cowboy passions. Their schedule keeps them constantly on the move, filming content, feeding cowboys, and hosting workshops so it's easy to see how a traditional family life may not have been part of their story.

Besides having a passion for cowboy culture, Shannon Rollins is also a writer in her own right. She has co-authored three cookbooks with her husband. The first book — "A Taste of Cowboy" — is mainly centered around the recipes and experiences that Shannon and Kent Rollins have from their many adventures. In an interview with her husband about their first book, Shannon explained, "It's simple food that we recreate to have bold flavors, but it's not complicated recipes." 

While the second book, "Faith, Family & The Feast,"  focuses a lot on recipes that are ideal for serving busy ranchers and their families, the third book, "Comfort Food The Cowboy Way," highlights cowboy history and the interesting characters they have met. It's through these books that Rollins has been able to share not just recipes, but memories and traditions passed down through generations.

Despite the success of their three books, Rollins mentioned in her interview with Chris Gregory that she is not quite sure yet if they are going to make a fourth book. What she does know is that they will use a new publishing house if they decide to write another book, as they hit a rough patch with their old publisher. If the previous three books, and a growing social media presence are any indication, a fourth book would be another hit with fans.

Shannon Rollins is very much involved behind the scenes in couple's success and helps in web design and social media, product fulfillment, photography, videography, and scheduling. Calling her a jack-of-all-trades is an understatement. "When I saw her around the wagon, I realized not only is she beautiful and smart, but she is tough!" says Kent Rollins told Cowboys & Indians.  She also manages their online store, handles customer service inquiries, and oversees merchandise production. On top of that, she is responsible for editing their YouTube videos and coordinating brand partnerships. 

On top of it all, she's often behind the camera capturing the moments that their audience loves, while also handling the back-end logistics that keep the brand running smoothly. Shannon Rollins wears many hats, often juggling them all in a single day — and somehow, still shows up with a warm smile and unwavering energy.

Inspired by her husband's personality and skill, Shannon Rollins decided that she would want to show the world what he was capable of. She recalled," I said to myself, 'If I can't show the world this guy, I'm not doing something right,' ... because he is charismatic, genuine, has a spark, and is relatable." This is when the idea to come up with a YouTube channel was generated as she strongly believed that Kent had so much to offer the world. It turns out, she was right. The YouTube channel has been a hit ever since with currently over 3 million subscribers. Her vision, dedication, and belief in Kent helped turn what started as a simple idea into a full-blown online brand. Shannon's husband can now be seen rubbing shoulders in friendly competitions with other famous chefs like Bobby Flay. 

A lot of her social media skills have been self-taught, and she says that she usually reverts to Google if she is really struggling to figure something out. Without her efforts and instincts, the channel may never have become the success story it is today. And just by looking at the statics on their channel, their success shows us that Shannon Rollins is definitely doing something right.

One thing Shannon Rollins will do is keep it real. She is of the belief that thelp feed those in needheir YouTube channel is the hit that it is today because they do their best to give viewers raw and unfiltered content. "I realized that people want the mess ups. They don't care if the lighting is not perfect ... They want it to be authentic and if you're putting out social media content, the number one thing is you have to be authentic." she said. For her, it's not about creating a perfect image — it's about showing up as who they are, cowboy hats, flour messes, and all. That honesty is what keeps people coming back for more. 

In light of this, Shannon Rollins has shared that some of their most popular videos are often the ones where things don't go exactly as planned. It's the unscripted moments that resonate. To Rollins, that's where the heart of storytelling really lives, so whether they are trying to generate content on how to make traditional mashed potatoes on a chuck wagon, or sharing a behind-the-scenes moment of a windy day on the prairie, the goal is always to stay true to who they are and bring people along for the real ride.

Shannon usually travels an average of 20,000 miles each year to give food to cowboys working on ranches. Since this is a cause that is very dear to both her and her husband, they don't seem to be complaining about it, although she did state in her interview with Chris Gregory that, " the winters can be harsh". In fact, Kent Rollins has previously shared with Cowboys & Indians how they have established routines that work for them while on the road, "We do get some good windshield time, and we listen to a lot of different music. Shannon has got me listening to Lady Gaga!"

These trips help Shannon Rollins and her husband to give back to the cowboy community that's been so integral to their lives. It's a beautiful labor of love really that she mutually shares with Kent. Their commitment to serving others while staying connected to their roots speaks volumes about the values they hold dear and the impact they hope to leave behind. While very few people make an effort to carry the legacy of cooking for cowboys on the ranch, Shannon Rollins seems determined to make a difference with her husband.

In previous collaborative efforts, Shannon and Kent Rollins would teach cooking classes at the Red River Chuck Wagon Cooking School in Hollis, Oklahoma. However, things took a bit of a turn when the covid pandemic started and the classes have been on hold for a few years. "I enjoy teaching people what I know." she said in an interview as she confirmed the possibility of also adding online workshops about social media management to her classes. The previous classes used to be hosted only twice a year with an intensive five-day program that was mainly on baking. However, Shannon Rollins said this about the comeback of their classes, "Not the way that it was. I think it's a better use of our time to do shorter, one day clinics." 

The classes used to be done on an 1876 Studebaker wagon to make sure that the students get the true chuck wagon experience. Each day would start early and end late, filled with hands-on learning and practical skills that were as memorable as they were useful. The atmosphere was not only educational but deeply rooted in tradition, giving participants a real taste of cowboy life. All we have to do now is wait and see what the new and improved classes will be like.