Don't know who knows this, but wife and I do...….there are young ladies today that ride broncs and bulls. We get RIDE TV and they have a program called Cowgirls that show this. The rules aren't totally the same as for men riders. Don't know about the "olden days", but today there are lady Team Ropers and Breakaway Ropers. Many can handle a rope very, very good. Has anyone here actually met a lady bull or bronc rider? I met a World Champion Female Bull Rider once. Her championship buckle had her name on it! And, from being around barrel racers at rodeos, they do not wear "skin tight jeans". Female trick riders wear colorful tights, for the flexibility in the stunts they do.
William "Bill" Pickett is credited in being the one who invented Steer Wrestling. He was black and Indian descent.
@Cody Fousnaugh While you are right that very few barrel racer wear skin tight jeans, most do wear fitted seat jeans. I don't know of any that wear a relaxed jean. Anyway it was my old ranch sense of humor comparing the old women rodeo pants to the modern very fitted jean that may have a bootleg, straight leg, or tapered leg. Compare 67 year old Mary's jeans to the pants of the early 1900's. Mary's aren't skin tight, but snug fitted in the seat and thigh and she looks amazing in my opinion. Her jeans no doubt have some stretch and give when riding. I wouldn't be caught dead in those old puffy pants.
Actually, when I was in the saddle with a rope in my hand, I was wearing Wrangler Slim Fit Jeans. Of course that was 20 years ago and before. Can't wear those anymore, but still the only jeans I do wear are the Wrangler brand, but Cowboy Cut. There are still horse events where the rider does wear either Chinks or full-length Chaps. If a person wants to see folks wearing that old rodeo/Western wear clothing, go to a SASS competition. The Old West is alive there.
If anyone wants to see the fairly old rodeo tradition, which came from ranching, simply attend a WRCA (Working Ranch Cowboys Association) rodeo. We went to one in Colorado Springs, when we lived in Colorado before. It can look pretty different than the pro-rodeos that are put on today.
I tried riding a steer once and after getting thrown off into a water trough and sucking water in my lungs. I decided there were more fun ranch activities. Also my mother placed an iron clad ban on me riding any bovine. I found this online about when women bull and bronc riding came to an end for many years. "In 1929, everything changed. When cowgirl Bonnie McCarroll died at the Pendleton Round-Up after being thrown from a bucking horse, the era of the rodeo cowgirl came to a tragic end. Women, who had competed side by side with men at the rodeos, were no longer allowed to participate."
I guess I appreciate most anything from yesteryear that reminds we could get along just fine with out the government being involved too much. We seemed to be hardier, healthier, and more content.
The second Quarter Horse I bought had a little "crow hop" in him when I first mounted him. That as far as I got to riding a bronc. Anyway, after a minute or two, old Red settled down for me. Never ever gave it a thought about bull riding. All I knew is that I was descent swinging a rope/loop, catching, jerking my slack, dallying around saddle horn and turning the steer for my "heeler" to come in for his catch.
"As it says on the photo, Tillie Baldwin is competing in the saddle bronc riding competition in 1919. Baldwin, whose given name was Anna Matilda Winger Slate, competed in rodeo prior to 1940. She was born in Avendale, Norway in 1888. At the age of 14, she immigrated to the United States, speaking no English. She joined Will Rogers' troupe in Vaudeville soon after immigrating. A year later, she joined the Miller Brothers 101 Ranch Wild West Show and after one season went to California in the winter to work in the old 101 Bison pictures." (Read More)