Rodeo’s Renegade Roses Catherine Lilbit Devine Gather ‘round younguns, there is a story to be told About some renegade cowgirls & their ride for the gold They made it look so easy, feathers, flowers & a smile. Guts & grace, they had plenty, quitting wasn’t their style They snugged up their riggin’ & grabbed for air Winning Champion titles with style & flair If Lucas¹, Krieg² & Greenough³ hadn’t led the way Would any of us be here in the arena today?   Henderson, Riley, Hastings & Creed To the “Men Only” rule they all paid no heed They broke records & bones, faced derision & fear Riding Broncs, Raising families, they juggled home & career Nasty wrecks were a given but they seemed to bounce back In one unforgettable event, Tad’s girl picked up the slack From Calgary & Cheyenne to OKC & San Antone Though there are many others, these ladies stand alone   Hat's off to the Rodeo's Renegade Roses At tradition they turned up their noses Bronc busting, trick riding, a rough riding ballet They showed us how to win & made it look like play They were never reckless, just a bit wild & bold Now its up to you & me to see their stories told They left mighty big boots to fill, bless them one & all We know that they ride with us, as we heed the siren’s call Lift a glass high in honor for those who paved the way Three cheers for the Renegade Roses still bucking out today.                                                             Catherine Lilbit Devine© 2004 - All rights reserved.

Tad Lucas  (1902-1990)   Gene Krieg Creed (1909-1993) Alice Greenough Orr (1902-1995)    Marge Greenough Henson  (1908-2004)

                                                                                                          Footnotes
¹ Tad Lucas, for a decade, was known as the world's best female rodeo performer. In her career, she collected all of the major trophies and titles available to rodeo cowgirls, though she achieved her greatest fame as a fearless and innovative trick rider. Tad, the youngest of 24 children, made her professional debut in 1917. She moved to Fort Worth soon after and began touring with Wild West shows. She first competed in trick riding in England.

  ²  Gene Krieg became the youngest woman ever to win the bronc riding at Cheyenne, in1925, . She and her sister Vaughn learned to ride before they were five and were soon helping their brothers break wild horses and pursue stray cattle on the family's Colorado ranch. One of the best cowgirls around, Gene won trick riding, relay races and bronc riding championships in a career spanning three decades and three continents.

  ³ Alice Greenough was from  Red Lodge, Mt. Her  rodeo life began with Jack King's Wild West Show riding saddle broncs, though she also did trick riding and occasionally rode bulls. Alice became an international rodeo star, performing in 46 states, Canada, Mexico, Spain, France, England, and Australia and winning four World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider titles. One of the "Riding Greenoughs," Alice formed her own rodeo business and featured the first women's barrel racing events.

                            And here's my personal favorite......
³  Marge Greenough grew up on the Greenough ranch outside of Red Lodge, Mt. All the Greenoughs worked on the ranch; and Marge and her seven siblings, learned to ride and rope as part of the daily chores. My mother knew her as a school girl and followed her career as a fan  when she became a champion bronc rider. Marge began her rodeo career in 1929 with Jack King's Wild West Rodeo. Known as one of the "Riding Greenoughs," Margie went on to rodeo and ride exhibitions in almost every state and for almost every big rodeo, usually being the only female bronc rider. A great local event in Billings, Mt. where I grew up was the Western Day Parade. Alice, Marge and Turk Greenough  always rode in it.  For more on Marge and Alice Greenough see "The Red Lodge Rodeo" on this web site. A click of the mouse will take you there.
                                                                Bette Wolf Duncan, Webmaster of this web site.