The Active Historian

Vera McGinnis was born in Missouri on November 2, 1892, to Sarah and Robert McGinnis. Tragically, her father passed away a year later and her mother married his brother, Harold.

Vera began rodeoing in 1913 after a stint in Hollywood as a movie extra. Her most notable appearances were Nobody Home (1919) and The Secret Menace (1931). She won several titles during her rodeo career.

Vera competed at the 1915 Pendleton Round-Up. Walter S. Bowman captured this photo that was published in the East Oregonian on September 25, 1915.

In 1918, Vera McGinnis married Earl Simpson in Los Angeles, California. Earl Simpson was a cowboy who also worked in the movie industry. They were married for a few years, but eventually filed for divorce.

In 1919, Vera won the Calgary relay riding contest. She performed at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus in New York’s Madison Square Garden in 1923.

Vera went on a tour through Europe and the United States performing various feats.

She was named the “World Champion Cowgirl Trick Rider” in 1924 at Tex Austin’s showcase rodeo in London, England. You can see her trophy on exhibition at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas (photos from 2024).

Another stop on her 1924 European tour included Dublin, Ireland and was awarded the trophy pictured below. According to the exhibition panel at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, the trophy from Dublin was her favorite of all the trophies she won. The trophy cup is made of elephant and walrus tusks with an inscribed three leaf clover on the front of the cup.

Vera was known for her fashion on the rodeo circuit as well. She was one of the first cowgirls to wear pants in the rodeo arena in the mid-1920s. Vera stated, “I like to wear them so I van kick up my heels as I like.” (Thomas, 9)

According to the 1930 Untied States Federal Census, Vera was living with her mother, Sarah and brother, Frank in Los Angeles, California. The following year, Vera married Homer G. Farr on March 24, 1931 in Yuma, Arizona. The couple lived in Los Angeles, California.

Vera’s rodeo career ended on June 10, 1934, after a bad wreck in Livermore, California. Her horse somersaulted on top of her during the relay race. She broke her back in five places, fractured her hip, and had a collapsed lung. She made a miraculous recovery and lived for many years in North Fork, California.

She published an autobiography in 1974 titled, Rodeo Road: My Life As a Pioneer Cowgirl. I have been searching for a copy of this book to purchase and have not been able to find it. I would love to read this book one day!

In 1979, Vera McGinnis was inducted into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas. Some of her trophies were on exhibition when I visited The Cowgirl in 2024. It was very cool to see some of the awards she had won!

In 1985, she was inducted into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Vera McGinnis passed away on October 24, 1990 at the age of 98 years old. 

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Sources

Secondary Sources

Books

Chris Enss. “Along Came A Cowgirl: Daring and Iconic Women of the Rodeo & Wild West Shows.”

Richard C. Rattenbury. “Arena Legacy: The Heritage of American Rodeo.”

Heidi M. Thomas. “Cowgirl Up! A History of Rodeo Women.”

Websites

“Vera McGinnis.” National Rodeo Hall of Fame. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

“Vera McGinnis.” National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.

“Vera McGinnis.” IMDb.

“Feet, Boots, and Measuring Tape: Gaining a Foothold on Eternity.” National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

Jana Bommersbach. “Vera McGinnis: The Most Daring Cowgirl Who Ever Rode the West.” September 10, 2018. COWGIRL Magazine.

Jana Bommersbach. “Vera’s Life in the Circus was a Zoo.” March 30, 2023. True West: History of the American Frontier.

“Robert William McGinnis.” Find A Grave.

Museum Panels

National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.

Primary Sources

“Vera McGinnis.” Missouri Birth Records [Microfilm]. Jefferson City, MO, USA: Missouri State Archives.

“Vera McGinnis Farra.” State of California. California Death Index, 1940-1997. Sacramento, CA, USA: State of California Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics.

“Vera M Farra.” 1939 Van Nuys, California, City Directory.

Books

Vera McGinnis. “Rodeo Road: My Life As a Pioneer Cowgirl.”

Marriage Licenses

“Vera Mc Ginnis.” California, County Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, 1830-1980. California Department of Public Health.

“Vera McGinnis.” County Marriage Records. Arizona History and Archives Division, Phoenix, Arizona.

Census Records

“Vera McGinnis.” 1910 United States Federal Census. 910; Walker, Vernon, Missouri; Roll: T624_827; Page: 7b; Enumeration District: 0157; FHL microfilm: 1374840.

“Vera Mc Simpson.” 1920 United States Federal Census.  1920; Los Angeles Assembly District 63, Los Angeles, California; Roll: T625_107; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 198.

“Earl Simpson.” 1920 United States Federal Census.  1920; Los Angeles Assembly District 63, Los Angeles, California; Roll: T625_107; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 198.

“Vera McGinnis.” 1930 United States Federal Census. 1930;  Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Page: 18A; Enumeration District: 0609; FHL microfilm: 2339892.

“Vera Farra.” 1940 United States Federal Census. 1940; Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Roll: m-t0627-00374; Page: 61A; Enumeration District: 60-20.

“Vera Farra.” 1950 United States Federal Census. 1950; Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Roll: 27; Page: 73; Enumeration District: 66-53A.

Newspapers

“Man and Beast Share Honors at Round-Up.” The Salt Lake Herald-Republican (Salt Lake City, Utah), August 28, 1914.

“Bertha Blancett Wins Championship in the Bucking Contest; 16,000 People See Events at Last Day of the Round-Up.” East Oregonian (Pendleton, Oregon), September 25, 1915.

“Billings Rodeo Pleases Butte.” Midland Empire News (Billings, Montana), July 11, 1916.

“Typical Scenes At The Pendleton Round-Up.” East Oregonian (Pendleton, OR), September 22, 1916.

“They’re Ready for the Gong to Sound at Exposition Rodeo.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, Texas), March 8, 1924.

“Livermore’s Rodeo Attracts World’s Best Riders.” Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) June 17, 1926.

“Revive West’s Wildness Tomorrow.” Los Angeles Evening Post-Record (Los Angeles, California), April 30, 1927.

“Ride ‘Em Cowboy! High, Wide, Handsome.” Los Angeles Evening Express (Los Angeles, California) May 3, 1927.

“Seeks Horsemanship Title.” Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California), June 15, 1927.

“Fall Injures Performer in Race at Rodeo.” Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California), June 11, 1934.

“Mrs. McGinnis’ Traffic Death Inquest Begun.” Los Angeles Evening Citizen News (Hollywood, California), July 28, 1943.

“Women Jockeys A New Deal? Not By Your Surcingle, Says Vera Farra.” The Fresno Bee (Fresno, California) March 23, 1969.

*All newspaper clippings in this blog post were pulled from newspapers.com. All digitized primary sources were found on ancestry.com unless stated otherwise. I am not affiliated with either website. I just wanted to let you know where I found my digitized sources.