The granddaughter of famed rodeo producer Colonel Jim Eskew and equally famed bronc and trick rider Florence Randolph, Madonna Eskew Pumphrey came naturally to rodeo. She began trick roping and trick riding as a child with the JE Ranch Rodeo, and under the tutelage of her father, many times World’s Champion Trick Roper Junior Eskew, she demonstrated her skills at venues from coast to coast.
In her twenties, Madonna Eskew worked for great rodeo stock contractors like Harry Knight, Mike Cervi, Harry Vold and the Beutler Brothers-not only trick riding and roping, but also performing in grand entries and occasionally as a hazer for steer wrestlers. She crisscrossed the United States for more than a decade, entertaining audiences with her skill and daring as an equestrian performer and rope handler.
Following her retirement from the rodeo circuit, Madonna volunteered her time to help troubled children as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) in the Ardmore, Oklahoma, area where she lived. For her many contributions to the sport of rodeo and America’s children, Madonna Eskew Pumphrey received the Tad Lucas Memorial Award in 2003.
