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Along Came a Cowgirl:
Daring and Iconic Women of Rodeos and Wild West Shows
Forword by Ken Amorosano
Publisher of COWGIRL and True West Magazines.
The Iconic horsewomen of the American West, as depicted in the pages of Along Came a Cowgirl: Daring and Iconic Women of Rodeos and Wild West Shows, were trailblazers in every sense of the word. Proving themselves fearless, athletic, and above all, “good horsemen,” was not only a goal, but a mission in many of their lives.
Along this rough and storied path is a very rare narrative that includes world records set, true stardom, and a stream of broken dreams and in many cases, broken bones.
Adventure, freedom, and a tough American grit endeared many horsewomen of the early 20th century to enter the man’s world of rodeo and along with it came fame, fortune, and a hardscrabble lifestyle only the toughest could endure.
Chris Enss is a prolific chronicler of these women, giving insight to a rough and tumble brand of Cowgirl with moxie and a lot to prove. Her mastery of getting to the core of the story is what makes Chris the gifted writer that she is.
Along Came A Cowgirl is an important historical account of the individual lives and stories that cemented the reputation and lore of the early American cowgirl chronicled by a writer who not only knows her subject intimately but is also a trailblazer as a woman of the West. Chris Enss is well known for her historic compositions, books, and articles about women of the West and the history and times in which they lived.
With names like Mabel Strickland and Florence LaDue, these ladies were the superstars of their time, executing death-defying stunts atop speeding horse and going head-to-head with the men in bronc riding and steer wrestling competitions much to the delight of the crowds and to the chagrin of the rodeo men.
While competing for prize money in rodeos such as the Pendleton Round Up and Cheyenne Frontier Days, the lure of the Wild West Shows brought greater excitement and international fame. Although they were competitors earning a living from prize money, they were entertainers more than anything and they reveled in the accolades of screaming audiences and relished precious moments in front of royalty in places they would never have dreamed of being.
Many of the cowgirls in Along Came A Cowgirl attained great fame becoming super stars in Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West show and many others including the 101 Ranch Wild West show, Pawnee Bill’s Wild West, and Colonel Cummins’ Wild West Indian Congress and Rough Riders of the World.
Not only did the young American cowgirls wow the crowds in Paris and New York, they also broke molds of the norm and set fashion trends all the while dressed to the nines in fancy boots, hats, scarves, colorful riding dresses, pants, and chaps. These were the true sweethearts of the rodeo, and no man was to stand in their way. Although sometimes shunned by a prudent audience of big city ladies for riding in pants as unladylike, these spitfire mavericks were the Madonna’s of their time, and they lived and regaled in every minute of it.
Along Came a Cowgirl: Daring and Iconic Women of Rodeos and Wild West Shows is the story of these pioneering cowgirls who lived life to its fullest and who’s legacy still lives today in the lives of the modern-day cowgirl.
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