Journal Notes

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Daughters of Daring: Hollywood Cowgirl Stunt Women

They rode when it wasn’t safe, fell when it wasn’t planned, and kept going when most would have quit.

The longevity of cowgirl stuntwomen varied wildly. Polly Burson, hailed as the “premiere stuntwoman in Hollywood,” stayed in the saddle for more than three decades, retiring only when she decided the risks had finally outweighed the rewards. Others, like stunt double Betty Miles, left early. After a few close calls, she chose the relative safety of a classroom over the dangers of the set.

For many, the thrill drew them in, but the reality tested their limits. Horse-stunt expert Aline Goodwin endured injuries that took months to heal. While filming a Western in 1930, a runaway horse slammed her into a tree, fracturing three vertebrae. Doctors later told her it was a miracle she could walk at all.

Then there was Betty Danko, mauled by a cougar during a stunt gone wrong. Thirteen deep bites left permanent scars and unforgettable pain. Still, she summed up the life with grit and honesty: fire, falls, wires, knives, water, and flames—“all for the sake of art and a paycheck.”

These women risked everything so movie audiences could believe the impossible.

To learn more, read Daughters of Daring: Hollywood Cowgirl Stunt Women

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Enter now to win a copy of

Daughter of Daring: Hollywood Cowgirl Stunt Women

“Writing books about show business is truly difficult. The research is enormous, and you have to find a topic that hasn’t been done to death.  What Chris Enss has accomplished with DAUGHTERS OF DARING is remarkable: she has honored the great, many of them unjustly unknown, stuntwomen of the first movies ever made. Tracing their histories from Wild West Shows to the earliest silent films and beyond, Chris Enss has shone a much-deserved light on the great careers of expert sharpshooter May Lillie, serial queen Ruth Roland, and even included the tragic end of actress Mary Wiggins, among many others.

“These were the ladies who could ride, shoot, and rodeo without fear, and have been unfairly ignored for more than a hundred years. Until now.

“THE DAUGHTERS OF DARING were entertaining audiences when show business traveled in tents from town to town, and then found themselves in the new medium of the movies. Chris Enss’ amazingly researched, and highly readable, record of their lives brings them the attention and applause they’ve so richly deserved for so long.”

Courtney Joyner, award-winning author and screenwriter

To learn more read Daughters of Daring: Hollywood Cowgirl Stunt Women

Enter now to win a copy of

Daughters of Daring: Hollywood Cowgirl Stunt Women

Before stunt coordinators, contracts, and safety standards, Hollywood relied on fearless women who negotiated danger one stunt at a time.

Daughters of Daring: Hollywood Cowgirl Stunt Women reveals the incredible true stories behind the women who made early Westerns thrilling. In 1938, equestrian stuntwoman Frances Miles helped found Riders and Stunt Girls of the Screen, an organization created to connect studios with the best-trained stuntwomen and to protect those women if injury, sickness, or hard times struck.

As president, Miles compiled a groundbreaking booklet for casting directors, listing each stuntwoman’s specialty, photo, and contact info. Whether a production needed someone crashing through a windowpane or wrestling a mountain lion, that booklet pointed them to the right daredevil and spelled out exactly what each stunt cost.

Stunting was strictly piece work. Ordinary riding paid $11 a day. Wagon crashes started at $50. Transfers from cars or trains could pay up to $230. High dives? Extra pay for every foot above 25.

And the pay gap tells its own story. In 1919, trick rider Vera McGinnis earned just $8 per stunt. By 1938, thrill-seeking equestrian Alice Van Springsteen was among the highest-paid stuntwomen in the business, doubling for Olivia de Havilland in The Adventures of Robin Hood and Dale Evans, earning $45–$60 per stunt.

Want to read more? Enter now to win a copy of Daughters of Daring, releasing February 28.

Because Hollywood’s toughest ceilings were shattered on horseback  – at full speed.

Discover the untold stories of the bold women who rode harder, roped faster, and stole the spotlight in early Hollywood. From the very first Western blockbuster, The Great Train Robbery (1903), cowboy heroes dominated the screen. But behind the scenes (and often in front of the camera), fearless cowgirls were shaping the genre.

Long before Barbara Stanwyck and Dale Evans inspired young women in the 1940s and ’50s, Hollywood was packed with leading cowgirls and real-life ranch women turned actresses and stunt performers. They performed every conceivable feat of horsemanship, at breakneck speed, firing guns, capturing outlaws, and doing their own stunts with grit, skill, and devotion. For many, the risks were real and the rewards, at last, were worthy of their daring.

Daughters of Daring tells the story of more than a dozen trick ropers, bronc busters, and bulldoggers who became stars, earning top billing above the cowboy and his horse in hundreds of films. Meet the trailblazers: Ruth Roland, Helen Gibson, Texas Guinan, Marin Sais, Anne Little, Marie Walcamp, Evelyn Selbie, and more. This is their story and it’s long overdue.

Preorder now and support Western heritage: 50% of all sales will benefit the Will Rogers Medallion Award and the Will Rogers Memorial Museum.

Available at Simon & Schuster, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and Amazon.com.

Get into the spirit of the season with a little Wild West fun! Hidden somewhere on the site are holiday-decorated cowgirl boots—find them to register for a chance to win any TWO books of your choice from the Chris Enss catalog.

⭐ Featured title to win:
The Sharpshooter and the Showman: May Lillie, Pawnee Bill, and Their Wild West Show — recently praised by Montana Arts Magazine as “perfect for history lovers and Wild West enthusiasts.”

Whether you’re shopping for a history buff or treating yourself, this giveaway is a holiday win. 👢 Start hunting and enter here

Good luck—and happy trails this holiday season! 🎁📚

Saddle up for some holiday fun with Cowboy True’s Christmas Adventure – a heartwarming Western tale perfect for the season! This festive story is just one of the many books in the Chris Enss catalog celebrating the grit, charm, and unforgettable characters of the American West.

While you’re exploring the site, keep your eyes peeled for the holiday-decorated cowgirl boots hidden within the pages. Find them, and you can register to win any two books of your choice from the full catalog of Chris Enss titles.

Start your Christmas adventure today and happy boot hunting! 🎄🤠📚

Looking for the perfect gift for the Western history fan in your life—or maybe a treat for yourself?

Enter now to win any two books of your choice from Chris Enss’ incredible catalog!

To enter, simply find the holiday-decorated cowgirl boots hidden somewhere on the site and register. It’s that easy!

One must-read title to consider:

The Pinks – a fascinating, well-researched nonfiction about the female operatives who worked in Allan Pinkerton’s agency during the American Civil War. As one reader shared:

“I had no prior knowledge regarding this topic, but Chris Enss unfolds the lives of these women in such a manner that I want to learn more about the ‘Pinks.’”

Don’t miss your chance to celebrate the holidays with a little Western history magic—

and maybe take home your favorite two Chris Enss books!

Enter now!