Oklahoma Rodeo Women

by Tracey Hanshew

Oklahoma's central location and ranching tradition gave it a unique connection to the rodeo industry as it grew from a local pastime to an internationally popular sport. From the very beginning, Oklahoma cowgirls played a significant role in developing the institution and the businesses that grew up in its shadow. Lucille Mulhall's pioneering roping carved out a place for women in the actual competition, while Mildred Chrisman's promotional efforts kept rodeo chutes open during the Great Depression. Modern ranchers like Terry Stuart produced the quarter horses sought by professional athletes around the world. From Guymon to Pawhuska and from stock contractors to rodeo clowns, Tracey Hanshew follows the trail that Oklahoma women blazed across this rough-and-tumble sport.

Genres: Nonfiction

112 pages, Paperback

Published February 17, 2020

Reviews

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Als Schweizerin weiss ich so gut wie nichts über Rodeo und überhaupt ist das für mich etwas, das hauptsächlich auf dem Bildschirm stattfindet. Auf der Suche nach einem Challenge-Buch stolperte ich über dieses Buch und dachte mir "Why not?".

Und ich war überrascht, als wie interessant sich dieses Werk herausstellte. Man muss nicht sonderlich viel über diese Sportart wissen, um Hanshews Buch lesen zu können. Denn in erster Linie dreht es sich um die Darstellung der Frauen des Rodeos, eingebettet in die Geschichte dieser Sportart. Auf diese Weise konnte ich mein Wissen gleich in mehreren Gebieten erweitern: Rodeo allgemein, Feminismus und Geschichte und Herkunft des Rodeo.

Was ich mit diesem Wissen hierzulange anfangen soll, das weiss ich noch nicht so recht, aber das ändert nichts daran, dass ich das Buch mit grossem Interesse las und immer wieder erstaunt war, über die Leistungen, die diese Frauen erbrachten. Die meisten waren richtige Multitalente, die es in einer von Männern dominierten (Sport-)Welt allen zeigten und so nicht nur das Rodeo voranbrachten, sondern auch die Rechte und die Gleichstellung der Frau.

Cowboy-Hut ab!

[Marissa Burger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides a thorough and comprehensive history of women in rodeo and its evolution to today. It articulates the progression of the sport and how it has not always been one of best interest for women in the sport. In fact, women in rodeo prior to the 1940s actually had more rights and liberties in the sport than they do today. It is a must read for all western culture enthusiasts and rodeo fans alike.

[Echo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting look at some of the history of Oklahoma women in rodeo through the years. I especially enjoyed reading about the cowgirls who competed in the early years. One thing that struck me as interesting as I read was the information on earlier rodeos was far more appealing to me than that of later rodeos. The women competing in rodeos and stunt riding in the early 1900s were fascinating - winning even when they competed alongside men, training stunt people for Hollywood and consulting on films, riding some of the most dangerous broncs out there. And yet, discussion of women in rodeo in a modern sense seemed to be mainly focused on women in support roles - supporting the men in their families who competed, taking care of the family or the farm, helping with the business side of things, or doing their part to promote rodeo. There were still some mentions of women competing, though not really in bronc riding or any of the things those cowgirls in the 1920s were doing. I wondered if maybe it was my imagination ... and then I had the question answered for me when I got to the part of the book that described the way rodeo changed for women around the time of World War II.
There's a lot of really good information in this book (probably even more so for someone with more interest in rodeo than myself), and I definitely loved reading about these amazing women who helped make rodeo what it is today. The most interesting part for me, though, ended up being the way women were essentially shut out of rodeo for a while and the ways they've tried to fight their way back into it.