When you think of iconic cowgirls who comes to mind? We think of cowgirls like Tad Lucas, Mabel Strickland, Lorena Trickey and Bonnie McCarroll!
Today, we’re going to explore the life of Bonnie McCaroll.
Mary Ellen “Bonnie” Treadwell was born in Boise, Idaho in 1897 on her grandparent’s ranch. She grew up surrounded by horses and the Western lifestyle. She began riding horses early in her life and rode “buckers” by the time she was 10 years old.
Rodeo
In 1915, she entered her first rodeo in Vancouver, Washington.
Bonnie met and married her husband, Frank McCarroll in 1915. They were both very successful on the rodeo circuit in the 1910s and 1920s.
Bonnie competed in saddle bronc riding, steer riding and trick riding. And boy was she good at it! She won several rodeos and roundups. Keep in mind that she was riding against some of the best rodeo women like Mabel Strickland, Tad Lucas and Vera McGinnis, to name only few.
Frank was a champion bulldogger which you can see in the photo below.
In 1915, Walter S. Bowman captured an iconic image of Bonnie riding a bronc named Silver at the Pendleton Round-Up. When I think of iconic rodeo photographs, this image immediately comes to mind!
In the image below, Bonnie has been thrown and is flying in the air while Silver is reared up with only his back hooves on the ground.
Bonnie became the first woman to win the bronc riding championship held at Madison Square Garden. In 1922, she accomplished something no other cowgirl had ever done before – she won the bronc riding championship at Madison Square Garden and Cheyenne Frontier Days in the same year. This was a HUGE accomplishment!
In 1924, she performed at Tex Austin’s International Rodeo at London’s Wembley Stadium. This was the first international rodeo championship in England. Bonnie won the Lord Selfridge Trophy as the “Champion Lady Saddle-bronc Rider.”
Bonnie began competing annually at the Pendleton Roundup in 1915. She won the saddle bronc title back-to-back in 1921 and 1922.
In 1929, Bonnie was competing at the Pendleton Roundup on a bronc named Black Cat when she sustained a major injury. She was immediately rushed to the hospital where she received medical attention. Tragically, she passed away eleven days later.
Women were soon banned from competing in rough stock events because it was deemed too dangerous. Rodeo officials decided there needed to be more regulations for women in rodeo competition.
Many years later, Bonnie McCarroll was inducted into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame (2002) and the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame (2006).
Did you know we have some of Bonnie’s things in our collection?
You can see some of Bonnie McCaroll’s things on display in the American Rodeo Gallery.
Bonnie McCarroll’s saddle was made by O.J. Snyder Saddlery around 1925. The saddle has a deep-dish seat, high cantle and wide-swell fork. The large ring stirrups are made to secure with a single center-fire rigging.
Ann Ayres’ Bonnie McCarroll / 1915 / Pendleton Round Up is also on exhibit. This piece depicts Bonnie being thrown from Silver at the 1915 Pendleton Round-Up.
From the Vault
There are a few more of Bonnie’s personal items in the vault at The Cowboy! A few years ago, there was a sheepskin on display with a commemorative rodeo drawing of Bonnie and Frank McCarroll, Tex Austin and more on exhibit. This piece was created in 1924 and is brightly colored with Bonnie sitting in the middle holding the Lord Selfridge Trophy. All of the other surrounding pictures were much smaller.
You can see the piece below! It is titled, “Bonnie & Frank McCarroll/Champion Bulldogger and International/Champion Ladie [sic] Bronk Rider” and was created by Francis Harden Steele.
*This piece is no longer on exhibit as the material needed to rest.
Concluding Thoughts
Bonnie McCarroll’s story is one of grit and determination and she helped pave the way for many women in rodeo. Her story will always be one of my favorites!
We hope you enjoyed learning about this cowgirl, and we look forward to seeing you further down the trail!
Read more about women in rodeo from Persimmon Hill!
Heidi M. Thomas, “Cowgirl Up!: A History of Rodeo Women.”
Chris Enss, “Along Came A Cowgirl.”
Sources
Websites
The American Rodeo Gallery at The Cowboy
“Bonnie McCarroll” panel, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Rodeo Gallery. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
“Frank McCarroll” panel, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Rodeo Gallery. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Bonnie McCarroll / 1915 / Pendelton Round Up. Ann Ayres, 2008. Rodeo Historical Society Purchase. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. 2008.09.
Ladies’ Bronc Riding Saddle. O.J. Snyder Saddlery, c. 1925. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. 83.5.4.
Newspapers
“Woman Broncho Rider Dies,” The Garden City News (Garden City, Kansas), October 3, 1929.
