Cowgirls: Stories of Trick Riders, Sharp Shooters, and Untamed Women

The fiercely independent, untamed woman of the old West the cowgirl seems to most people a topic more of fiction than real fact. But the West was indeed populated with strong-willed women who worked and played as men did in the saddles of their favorite bucking broncos women whose sacrifices, hard work, and can-do attitude helped build a nation. Cowgirls celebrates this previously overlooked aspect of the Western experience by bringing together their stories, including their own thoughts about being cowgirls. You’ll meet: “Little Joe” Monaghan, the Idaho cowboy who mostly kept to himself, cared nothing for drink or dance-hall girls and who, on his death, turned out to be a woman. Sarah Bowman, the “Great Western” of Texas, whose epic proportions and sexuality, not to mention adeptness with guns, awed Indians and outlaws alike to a respectful distance. Fannie Sperry Steele, the first Lady Bucking Horse Champion of the World, who thrilled audiences across Montana and was inducted into both the National Cowboy and Cowgirl halls of fame.”