Pauline Slovensky wasn born in Union City, Ohio on August 24, 1905 to Stephanus Szlovinszky and Maria Kocsco. Pauline and her nine siblings – Mary, Steven, Annie, Andy, Catie, Lizzie, Peter, Joesph, and Aness – grew up on a ranch in Wisconsin. Pauline was the second youngest child of the Slovenskis.
Pauline rode her first bronc when she was 13 years old in Texas while visiting friends. She began competing in bronc riding when she was 17 years old.
She married fellow rodeo competitor, Grady Wilson and they traveled together for a time before filing for divorce.
In June 1927, Pauline appeared at a rodeo in Alliance, Nebraska. The Alliance News claims the rodeo producers “chased [her] all over the country in an effort to secure [her] for the big show… She is the best that money could secure and her act is worth the price of admission. (“Big Rodeo To Be Held…” The Alliance News, June 9, 1927)
In August 1927, the newspapers claimed Pauline was one of the best bronc and trick riders. She performed tricks atop her horse, Lindy.
Pauline married Jimmy Nesbitt in September 1927, he was a rodeo clown and fellow competitor. The Nesbitts performed and/or competed at several of the major venues including Cheyenne, Fort Worth, Kerrville, Tulsa, and Denver in the 1930s and 1940s.
Pauline won the ‘Cowgirls’ Trick and Fancy Riding’ title at the Fort Worth Southwestern Exposition and Fat Stock show rodeo from 1937-1942.
The Nesbitts hauled Jimmy’s mule, Pauline’s horse, and a dog from rodeo to rodeo. They made their home in Fort Worth, Texas and Nowata, Oklahoma home for much of their marriage.
In 1934, Pauline traveled to Melbourne, Australia and competed in the Wild Australian Stampede with Alice Greenough. Pauline took fourth place at Madison Square Garden in tricking riding in 1934.
In addition to being a talented rider, Pauline made all of her own costumes! She was given an opportunity to model Western wear for Sears Roebuck Catalog in 1941 with other notable cowgirls including Tad Lucas, Polly Mills, and Iva Del Draksler. Pauline also worked on films in Hollywood and was a member of the Cowboy Turtle Association.
Pauline and Jimmy Nesbitt filed for divorce in the early 1940s. Pauline retired from competition in 1948 and married Miles L. “Sonny” Rider on May 25, 1949 in Bentonville, Arkansas. Pauline and Sonny continued ranching for many years.
Pauline passed away on November 7, 1996, at the age of 91 in Nowata, Oklahoma. In 1999, she was inducted into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. In 2011, she was inducted into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.
Sources
Secondary Sources
Websites
“Doubleday’s Cowgirls: Women in the Rodeo, Part Two.” National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
“Pauline Nesbitt.” National Rodeo Hall of Fame. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
“Pauline Nesbitt.” National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.
“Pauline Nesbitt.” Nowata Museum. Nowata County Historical Society.
“Pauline Nesbitt.” Find A Grave.
Primary Sources
“Pauline Nesbitt.” National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards For Oklahoma, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 367. (Draft Card for James S. Nesbitt)
“Pauline Slovinsky.” Ancestry.com. Ohio, U.S., Births and Christenings Index, 1774-1973 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
“Pauline Nesbitt.” Ancestry.com. Arkansas, U.S., County Marriages Index, 1837-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. (FHL Film Number: 1994614)
“Pauline L. Nesbitt.” Arkansas Department of Vital Records; Little Rock, Arkansas; Marriage Certificates; Year: 1949; Film: #1. (Certificate Number: 003591)
Census Records
“Pauline Slovenski.” United States Federal Census. 1910. Jackson, Guernsey, Ohio. Roll: T624_1185. Page: 11b. Enumeration District: 0015. FHL microfilm: 1375198.
“Pauline Slovansky.” United States Federal Census. 1920. Worden, Clark, Wisconsin. Roll: T625_1980. Page: 10B. Enumeration District: 37.
“Pauline Nesbit.” United States Federal Census. 1930. Fort Worth, Tarrant, Texas. Page: 32B. Enumeration District: 0047. FHL microfilm: 2342128.
“Pauline H Nesbitt.” United States Federal Census. 1940. Nowata, Nowata, Oklahoma. Roll: m-t0627-03315. Page: 25A. Enumeration District: 53-13.
Photographs
“Pauline Wilson on “Done Gone” Tucson.” Ralph R. Doubleday. ca. 1920. Gelatin silver print. Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, Gift of Mrs. Clare W. Hayes, Peterborough, New Hampshire. P1990.21.5. (Public Domain)
*If you are looking for more photos of Pauline Nesbitt, please see the Dickinson Research Center at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Here are a few of my favorites:
“Pauline Nesbitt.” Ralph R. Doubleday. ca. 1935. Nitrate negative. Ralph R. Doubleday Rodeo Photographs. Dickinson Research Center. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. 79.026.2693.
“Pauline Nesbitt Trick Riding.” Ralph R. Doubleday. ca. 1935. Nitrate negative. Ralph R. Doubleday Rodeo Photographs. Dickinson Research Center. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. 79.026.2724.
“Pauline Nesbitt Doing Crouper Drag.” Ralph R. Doubleday. ca. 1930. Nitrate negative. Ralph R. Doubleday Rodeo Postcards. Dickinson Research Center. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Doubleday 185.
“Pauline Nesbitt going under her horse.” Ralph R. Doubleday. ca. 1930. Nitrate negative. Ralph R. Doubleday Rodeo Postcards. Dickinson Research Center. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Doubleday 181.
Newspapers
“American Legion’s Second Annual Centerville, Iowa RoundUp.” The Milan Republican (Milan, MO), July 22, 1926.
“Getting Grounds In Condition For Rodeo Just Ahead.” The Alliance Times-Herald (Alliance, NE), June 7, 1927.
“Big Rodeo To Be Held At Alliance June 22, 23 And 24.” The Alliance News (Alliance, NE), June 9, 1927
“Race Program To Be Feature Of Big Rodeo.” The Alliance Times-Herald (Alliance, NE), June 17, 1927.
“Legion Rodeo To Open Here On Wednesday.” The Alliance Times-Herald (Alliance, NE), June 21, 1927.
“‘Ride Him, Cowboy!’” The Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune (Chillicothe, MO), July 30, 1927.
“Champ Riders at York Rodeo.” The New Teller (York, NE), August 24, 1927.
“Many Cowboys For Big Three-Day Rodeo.” The Alliance Times-Herald (Alliance, NE), June 12, 1928.
“Trick Riders To Perform At Tucson Rodeo.” Casa Grande Dispatch (Casa Grande, AZ), February 15, 1929.
“Down and Under.” The Daily Ardmoreite (Ardmore, OK), April 26, 1934.
“Trick Rider Supreme.” Nowata Daily Star (Nowata, OK), July 4, 1937.
“Official Program: 9th Annual Woodward Elks’ Rodeo.” Woodward Daily Press (Woodward, OK), September 10, 1937.
“Ardmore Horse Winner Of Horse Show Title.” The Ponca City News (Ponca City, OK), March 21, 1938.
“Hugh Bennett Wins Top Rodeo Honors.” Big Spring Daily Herald (Big Spring, TX), March 21, 1938.
“Trick Rider Will Appear In Rodeo.” The Vinita Daily Journal (Vinita, OK), May 31, 1938.
“Wins Championship.” Nowata Daily Star (Nowata, OK), March 20, 1939.
“Jimmy Nesbitt and His Wife Pauline to Show Here.” Nowata Daily Star (Nowata, OK), June 5, 1940.
“Pauline is Honored.” Nowata Daily Star (Nowata, OK), February 23, 1941.
“Pauline Nesbitt Wins.” Nowata Daily Star (Nowata, OK), March 18, 1941.
“Rodeo Trophies and Purses Total $8641.” The Daily Ardmoreite (Ardmore, OK), March 23, 1941.
“Seabee Goes Back to ‘Empty Marriage,’ Dies in Flames.” The Tulsa Tribune (Tulsa, OK), November 13, 1943.
Edwyna Synar, “Remember the Ladies: Trick Rider Pauline Nesbitt wowed crowds.” Muskogee Phoenix (Muskogee, OK), July 15, 2022.
*Blog Cover photo: “Pauline Wilson on “Done Gone” Tucson.” Ralph R. Doubleday. ca. 1920. Gelatin silver print. Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, Gift of Mrs. Clare W. Hayes, Peterborough, New Hampshire. P1990.21.5. (Public Domain)
I found a note in the December 24, 1920 edition of Arizona Daily Star that lists “Done Gone” being at the Tucson Winter Round-Up, but Pauline is not mentioned. (“Broncos Pitch and Busters Ride ‘Em At Opening Day Of Tucson Winter Round Up.” Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, AZ), December 24, 1920.
*All digitized primary sources were found on ancestry.com. All newspaper clippings were found on newspapers.com. I am not affiliated with either website, but wanted you to know where you could find the information for yourself should you want to access it.
The Active Historian 
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