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Beauty and the Beast

© Diana Rowe Martinez Copyright 2001

A small figure lay in the dirt, gasping for air. For several moments more, the huge bull continues bucking before realizing his rider is on the ground. He turns his massive head toward the person that had dared get on his back. As usual, the rodeo clowns do their job and pull the bull's attention away from the rider by flashing in front of his vision. Fellow riders wait breathlessly behind the chutes, praying the bull rider is not seriously injured.

This may sound like a regular PRCA rodeo, but there's something different about this one. These contestants are all women, and like cowboys, the cowgirls love the rodeo. Although they compete in many of the same events as men, events and their rules may differ slightly for women. (Check out the PWRA Events descriptions at: http://www.wpra.com/pwra1.html for details.)

Although men are traditionally a big part of the rough-and-tumble sport of rodeo, women also enjoy the challenge and thrill of rodeo-ing. According to the Professional Women's Rodeo Association (PWRA), "dating back to the early 1900's, women were pictured riding saddle broncs in various Wild West Shows throughout the United States." Women like sharp-shooter Annie Oakley helped spread the fire of rodeo across the nation. Many of these women came from ranching backgrounds, where the separation of men and women and chores was not a viable option. Riding and roping were a part of everyday ranch life.

Teddy Roosevelt first coined "cowgirl"while describing Wild West performer Lucielle Mullhall, bronc rider, roper and bulldogger, during a time when women competed equally with men in roping and riding events. In fact, from the 1880s women were the first women athletes to succeed in professional sports in the America. In 1929 after several popular women bronc riders were killed in the arena, women competing in the rodeo arena events were suspended. Interestingly, no record of cowboy deaths in the arena were kept at this time.

But the drive and the dream to compete in roughstock events did not end with the suspension. On February 28, 1948, twenty-three women who met at the San Angelus hotel in San Angelo, Texas for the express purpose of re-establishing women's rodeo formed the Girls Rodeo Association, now the Women's Professional Rodeo Association. Over time, this organization successfully added Barrel Racing to a majority of rodeos, and in 1967, the PRCA included barrel racing as a national event at the NFR. However, it took the threat of a boycott at the Finals in 1997 by all competitors, men and women, for the PRCA to equalize the payouts. Barrel racers received their increase in 1998, the same year men's team roping was elevated to match the other events.

The copyright of the article Beauty and the Beast in Rodeo Culture is owned by Diana Rowe Martinez Copyright 2001. Permission to republish Beauty and the Beast in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.