A Woman to Know: Lucy Mulhall
Lucille Mullhall comes forward to show what an 18-year-old girl can do in roping steers. — The New York Times, 1904
(image via Wikimedia Commons)
In the early part of the 20th century, Lucille Mullhall was dominating rodeo competitions across Oklahoma and Texas. She starred in Wild West shows and produced her own rodeo. Theodore Roosevelt invited her to a Rough Riders luncheon, where she impressed the president with her tales of sharpshooting wolves in the wilderness.
As she toured the country making headlines, the press played around with catchy titles: "First Cowgirl." "Queen of the Saddle." "Lassoer in Lingerie." "Belle of Oklahoma." "Rodeo Queen." But as one of the first women to compete in rodeo competitions alongside male cowboys, Lucille cared about more than just titles: she wanted to win.
Add to your library list:
Lucille Mullhall: An Athlete of Her Time (Cynthia K. Rhodes)
Wild Ride: The History and Lore of Western Rodeo (Joel Bernstein)
America's First Cowgirl (Beth Day)
Wild Women of the Old West (Glenda Riley)
Read more:
Only in Oklahoma: Lucille Mullhall was "the first cowgirl" (The Tulsa World)
Miss Mullhall, Belle of Oklahoma, Lariat Expert (The New York Times)
Lucille Mullhall (The Oklahoma Historical Society)
1977 Honoree: Lucille Mullhall (The National Cowgirl Hall of Fame)
"First Cowgirl" raised in Oklahoma (The Oklahoman)
Wild Woman Wednesday: Lucille Mullhall (Cowgirl Magazine)
"America's First Cowgirl" (The Los Angeles Times)
Rodeo Cowgirls and Rural Feminism (The Oklahoma Historical Society)
Watch more:
Lucille in rodeo competition (Passing of the West, 1927)
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