This Week in the West: The Thrilling Cowgirl Life of Lucille Mulhall

🤠This Week in the West 🎙️ Episode 51: The Thrilling Cowgirl Life of Lucille Mulhall 

📢 Episode Summary: Lucille Mulhall’s story begins with a legendary encounter involving Theodore Roosevelt and a roped wolf—an act that launched her into Western folklore. Born in St. Louis and raised on the Oklahoma frontier, Lucille grew up on the Mulhall Ranch, where her father’s traveling Wild West shows introduced her to the world of performance and competition. As a teenager, she was already out-roping men and dazzling audiences with her skill and poise.

Her talent and grit made her the first woman many Americans called a “cowgirl.” Performing alongside names like Will Rogers, Mulhall redefined the role of women in rodeo and Western entertainment. She became a headliner at events across the U.S. and abroad, competing at the inaugural Calgary Stampede and even leading her own rodeo troupe—Lucille Mulhall’s Roundup—at a time when few women owned or managed such enterprises.

Mulhall’s legacy extended beyond the arena. Her independence and tenacity paved the way for generations of women in rodeo and the Western arts. Though her life ended tragically in 1940 near her family ranch.

🔍 What You’ll Learn:

• How Lucille Mulhall became one of America’s first true cowgirls, earning the admiration of Theodore Roosevelt and Will Rogers
• How her performances and victories against male competitors reshaped perceptions of women in the early rodeo world
• How her life and legacy continue to influence the image and identity of the Western cowgirl today

👥 Behind the Scenes Host: Seth Spillman Producer: Chase Spivey Writer: Mike Koehler

🔗 Further research:

• Article on Mulhall, “The World’s Greatest Woman Roper”: https://teamropingjournal.com/ropers-stories/lucille-mulhall-the-worlds-greatest-woman-roper/
• Lucille Mulhall and the Mulhall Wild West Show: https://flinthillsspecial.com/2020/12/04/lucille-mulhall-and-the-mulhall-wild-west-show/
• Atlas Obscura: The Ballad of Lucille Mulhall: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-ballad-of-lucille-mulhall-americas-original-cowgirl

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