Category: Women’s History in the American West
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Breaking Trail: Alice Greenough
“But the excitement of the rodeos, the crowds and the thrill of jolting around on a tough horse get into your blood and I guess you just can’t stay away, even if you wanted to.” -Alice Greenough “A Candid Talk With — A Cowgirl…” The Daily News and Intelligencer (Mexico,…
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Breaking Trail: Katherine “Kitty” Wilkes
Katherine “Kitty” Derre was born in New York on July 15, 1899. She was the daughter of Maryann and D.E. Derre. Katherine was a talented bronc rider and had a knack for breaking horses. She would ride them to submission and if she was bucked off she’d hop right back…
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Breaking Trail: Lucille Mulhall
Are you ready to meet the woman who United States President Theodore Roosevelt called “The Golden Girl of the West?” Lucille Mulhall was born in St. Louis, Missouri on October 21, 1885. Lucille was the daughter of Colonel Zack and Mary Agnes Mulhall. Her family moved to Oklahoma when she…
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Breaking Trail: Mamie Francis
Elba Mae Ghent was born on September 8, 1885 in Nora, Illinois. She was raised on a ranch by her mother and had a deep appreciation for them. In 1901, she attended a performance by Pawnee Bill’s Wild West Show in Wisconsin. She saw her favorite athlete, Lulu Bell Parr…
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Breaking Trail: Bea Kirnan
Beatrice “Bea” Brosseau was born in Turton, South Dakota on October 9, 1892. She was the daughter of Virginia and David Brosseau. Bea was a great relay racer, Roman rider, and bronc rider. She began competing when she was 16 years old. She married Thomas “Tommy” Francis Kirnan on November…
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Breaking Trail: Goldie St. Clair
Irene “Goldie” Wooden was born in Kanas in 1890/91 to Stephen and Katie Wooden. The Woodens lived in Kansas during Goldie’s early childhood, but they eventually packed their belongings and moved to Oklahoma. By 1900, the Wooden family was living in McElroy, Oklahoma. Goldie loved riding and often chose some…
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Breaking Trail: Tillie Baldwin
Anna Matilda Winger was born in 1888 in Avendale, Norway. She emigrated to the United States in 1902 and lived with her aunt in New York. She was 14 years old at the time and would go on to become a very talented rodeo cowgirl despite never riding a horse before…
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Breaking Trail: Florence Hughes Randolph
Florence Hughes Randolph was born in 1898 in Augusta, Georgia. She learned how to ride on plow mules. She learned to Trick and Roman ride with Colonel King’s IXL Ranch Wild West show. In 1916, she organized Princess Mohawk’s Wild West Hippodrome. She performed with traveling carnivals. Florence defeated thirteen…
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Breaking Trail: Ruth Roach
Known as “The World’s Most Beautiful Cowgirl,” Ruth Roach was born in 1896 at Excelsior Springs, Missouri. She learned to ride on her uncle’s donkeys and then joined the 101 Ranch Wild West Show at the age of sixteen. She married Buck Roach in 1914. Ruth entered her first rodeo…
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Breaking Trail: Tad Barnes Lucas
Barbara Barnes, better known as “Tad Lucas” was born in 1902. She grew up around Cody, Nebraska learning to ride horses. She was given the nickname “Tadpole” as a baby and it was eventually shortened to “Tad.” Tad would become one of the most fearless and innovative trick riders in…
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Breaking Trail: Bertha Kaepernik Blancett
Bertha Kaepernik was born in 1883. Her family moved to Colorado and she was riding horses by the time she was five years old! She would become known as “the most famous woman rider in rodeo.” She helped pioneer women’s competitions in rodeo, but also wasn’t afraid to compete against…
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National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame: Fort Worth, TX
Hey, friend! Welcome back to another post! Today, I want to tell you about the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas. I got to visit this museum as a child and was so excited to go back to see all the renovations they had made…
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Breaking Trail: Fannie Sperry Steele
“To the yesterdays that are gone, to the cowboys I used to know, to the bronc busters that rode beside me, to the horses beneath me (sometimes) I take off my hat. I wouldn’t have missed one minute of it.” Fannie Sperry Steele (Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame Website) Fannie…
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Breaking Trail: Prairie Rose Henderson
Ann Robins was born in Wyoming in the 1870s, but she later was known as ‘Prairie Rose.’ She grew up on a ranch roping and riding then became one of the best bareback riders and relay racers on the rodeo circuit. Cowgirl, Vera McGinnis said Prairie Rose Henderson “was the…
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Breaking Trail: Fox Hastings
Eloise Fox Hastings was active during the first golden era of rodeo and competed in steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding and trick riding. She would be known for steer wrestling though! She appeared in the Irwin Brother’s Wild West Show in 1914. She performed trick riding and rode broncs in…
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Breaking Trail: Annie Oakley
Phoebe Ann Moses was born on August 13, 1860 in Ohio. Her family called her ‘Annie.’ Sadly, her father passed away from pneumonia when she was six years old. Her mother remarried and her stepfather passed away as well. Annie was sent to live with the Edington family who ran…
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Breaking Trail: Mabel Strickland
Mabel DeLong was born in 1897 and raised in Walla Walla, Washington. In high school, she began trick riding and relay racing which set off her twenty-five-year career. She married Hugh Strickland who was an all-around hand and they traveled together on the rodeo circuit for the next two decades.…
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Breaking Trail: Lorena Trickey
Lorena Trickey was born in 1893 near Palmer, Oregon. In 1917, she joined the Clarence Adams Wild West Show as a trick and Roman rider. One of the stockmen recommended she try rodeo and the rest is history. Lorena began competing in 1918 in Ladies Relay Racing and Saddle Bronc…
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Breaking Trail: Bonnie McCarroll
*Parts of this blog post were originally written for the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum blog series “Breaking Trail.” When you think of iconic cowgirls who comes to mind? I think of cowgirls like Tad Lucas, Mabel Strickland, Lorena Trickey and Bonnie McCarroll! Today, we’re going to explore the life…
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