The Diana Award: A Legacy Written in the Field

By 2026 Diana Recipient Madie Demaske (pictured above to the right)

Behind every Diana Award recipient is a story that begins long before her name is called at Convention. It is a story built over years of early mornings, difficult country, careful decisions, and quiet service. The award is not given for a single hunt or a single remarkable animal.

Since 1995, the Diana Award—named for the huntress of Roman mythology—has honored the women of SCI whose international hunting achievements reflect exceptional skill, leadership, integrity, and a deep personal commitment to ethical hunting and conservation. Recipients don’t just bring trophies home; they set the standard. They model impeccable ethics in the field, an unwavering commitment to SCI’s missions, and give back through hands-on conservation and education work. The Diana Award celebrates not only marksmanship and courage, but stewardship and devotion—women who hunt hard and give harder.

The journey toward the Diana Award is intentionally demanding, but not because it can be reduced down to a checklist. It is shaped by years spent crossing unfamiliar ground, adapting to hard conditions, learning from each pursuit, and showing the kind of patience and judgment that only experience can teach.

In evaluating applicants, the Dianas look beyond the numbers, too. They consider the breadth of places traveled, the diversity of species pursued, the difficulty of the terrain and conditions, and the applicant’s active role in hunting.

But the Diana Award has never been only about the places a woman has hunted. Long after the rifles are cleaned and the bags are unpacked, the women who earn this honor keep showing up—for their chapters, for SCI, for wildlife, and for the next generation of hunters. Their stories are written in committee rooms and conservation camps, at chapter events and youth programs, through Sables involvement, advocacy work, Blue Bag efforts, habitat projects, species protection, anti-poaching support, and mentorship.

They are the women restoring habitat, opening doors for new hunters, teaching what ethical hunting looks like, and lending their time, resources, and leadership wherever the mission calls. In that way, the Diana Award honors something larger than achievement in the field; it honors a life of stewardship.

Just as important is the way a Diana carries herself. Integrity, leadership, respect for wildlife, and ethical sportsmanship are woven into the award’s purpose. For younger women in SCI, the Diana Award can also serve as an invitation—to keep building, learning, serving, and hunting with purpose. For many, the path to the award is not a single season; it is a lifetime of experiences gathered one hunt, one act of service, and one conservation commitment at a time.

This selectivity is part of what gives the honor its weight. Each name added to the list becomes part of a continuing story of women who have hunted hard, led well, served generously, and helped shape the future of SCI. Past recipients include:

Audrey Murtland (1995), Casey Schwabland (1996), Pamela Atwood (1997), Ingrid Williams (1998), Barbara Sackmann (1999), Joan Vernon Gordon (2000), Mary Cabela (2001), Deb Cunningham (2002), Marilyn Seegmiller (2003), Sandra Green (2004), Sandra Sadler (2005), Arlene Hanson (2006), Jackie Bartels (2007), Abigail Day (2008), Mary Ann Sackmann (2009), Suzie Brewster (2011), Renee Snider (2012), Melanie Pepper (2013), Olivia Nalos Opre (2014), Mary Harter (2015), Denise Welker (2017), Angie Hall (2018), Brenda Potterfield (2019), Susan Hayes (2020), Brittany Longoria (2021), Veronia Kosich (2023), Siri Campbell Fossel (2024), Claudia Tagliaferri (2025), Madeline Demaske (2026)

Over the next several months, I hope to dive into these women’s stories of their journey to becoming a Diana. I hope this series inspires more women to get involved in hunting, conservation, stewardship, and all of the facets we celebrate with Women Go Hunting.

If you are interest in more information about the Diana, go to https://safariclub.org/awards/lifetime-achievement-awards/ or email the Diana Award Chair at [email protected].