EVENTS
Rodeo Trick Rider
Bronc Rider
Proclaimed “The World’s Most Beautiful Cowgirl,” Ruth Roach often saw her image on the front page of the nation’s biggest newspapers. Born Ruth Scantlin in 1896 in Missouri, she left home in her teens to join the Miller Brothers 101 Ranch and Wild West Show.
When Ruth Scantlin married Buck Roach in 1914, she entered competitive rodeo. Riding her first bucking horse in 1917 at Fort Worth, she won on a bronc that had bucked off the male contestants. Her natural athletic ability brought her victories in every major venue for over two decades, and she competed at Madison Square Garden every year from 1916 through 1936. Roach was also one of the sport’s all-time great trick and fancy riders, winning the championship at Cheyenne and at Pendleton in 1919. She retired from competitive trick riding in 1930.
Beautiful, glamorous Ruth Roach often posed for rodeo advertisements, and she performed in silent movies with Tom Mix and other stars. After marrying Fred Salmon in 1938, she retired from active competition in order to raise a family on their ranch near Nocona, Texas. Ruth Roach died in 1986.
