Pioneer women who lived in the old west were pioneers, hard working, bearing children, living in adverse weather and housing conditions. These harsh environments produced a strong willed, brave, and determined female figure that became know as the cowgirl. Her lifestyle dictated the design of her attire, rather than fashion. Clothing needed to be able to withstand time on horseback, allow movement for toiling field labor, and protect from the elements.
On the earlier wagon trains, many of the oxen drivers were women--they later became freight haulers or stagecoach drivers. One woman, Mary Fields, became not only a freight hauler, she also became a Pony Express rider in Montana in 1880. Mary, an ex-slave from Tennessee, was fired for her "unladylike" behavior of using her rifle to fight off a wolf pack. She then delivered mail by stagecoach, never missing a day until she was almost 80 years old. She died in Cascade Montana in 1914.
As time went on, the cowgirl's ease and agility in the saddle began to match that of their male counterparts. As early as 1880, women began participating in rodeo events and became quite successful competitors, getting in plenty of practice time driving herds on the plains and ranches.
Then, during the first and second world wars, live stock was scarce and women began working to help are efforts, the cowgirl rodeo all but died. A big fan of the rodeo, and Hollywood star Gene Autry bought the dwindling rodeos and hired women to perform as trick riders. With that, the traditional cowgirl clothing became colorful and decorative costuming and the cowgirl came to be known as a glamour girl.
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Tillie Baldwin was born in Norway. As a teenager, she made her way to America to live with an aunt in New York City. Attracted to the adventure of travel and thrill of performance as opposed to a life of being a hairdresser, Tillie joined up with the famous Miller Brothers' 101 Wild West Show. Her colorful career led to rodeo, where she became a champion trick rider, bronco rider, and relay racer. She was famous for performing her riding stunts dressed as a gymnast.
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Rodeo cowgirls like Tad Lucas were so intoxicated by their profession, they seldom gave in to injuries. Once Tad Lucas was going under her horse's belly in a trick-riding contest at the Chicago World's Fair when she slipped and was caught up in the galloping hooves for several minutes. She finally broke free only to find her arm was severely broken. The doctor wanted to remove the arm, but Tad couldn't hear of it. A few months later, she was trick- riding with the arm in a cast and within three years she was back on a bronco.
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Annie Oakley, born as Phoebe Moses, was frequently known as Little Miss Sure Shot. She could shoot the head off a running quail by the time she was twelve. She made money for her family with her sharp Shooter skills bagging game and selling it to the local general store
It wasn't until Annie Oakley beat Frank Butler, a expert sharp shooter and future husband, in a shooting match on Thanksgiving of 1875 that the world began to discover the expert sharp shooter Annie Oakley
Once, at the invitation of Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, she knocked the ashes off a cigarette he was holding in his mouth.
She could handle a rifle or a six-gun with an artistry unsurpassed by that of any human being before her time or, probably, since.
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Cowgirl wear today typically keeps with the traditional functional fabrics . suede, leather, and denim, however ornamental trimmings can be imaginatively extravagant, or simple and plain. Regardless of the ensemble, the message remains same. Cowgirls represent independent, strong, and courageous women not easily deterred by barriers and challenges. The classic style can be found globally and integrated into every fashion decade. The cowgirl has truly become an American Icon.
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http://www.cowgirl.net/
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/corp/features/cowgirl/
http://www.ormiston.com/annieoakley/
http://www.genkigirl.org/cowgirls/cowgirl_charm.html
http://www.cowboy.com/The Western Connection Listing Viewer.htm
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