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• Blucher Custom Boot Company Records Finding Aid
 Vera McGinnis, circa 1920, photograph by Bone with boot book inset, Blucher Fitting Book, Volume 18, 1918, page 140, 2001.022.017. |
Always fashion conscious, Vera McGinnis (1892-1990) was the first cowgirl to wear pants in the arena around 1925. Considering skirts and tight breeches as nuisances, McGinnis created a pair of trousers from a pair of little boys' flannel pants with a zipper on the side. She remarked, "I like to wear them so then I can kick up my heels as I like." In her book Rodeo Road, McGinnis commented upon how the Japanese custom of removing one's footwear before entering a home or business changed a near-and-dear cowgirl custom. She wrote, "Speaking of dress, Japan broke me of one of the oldest and most convenient of cowgirl customs - that of wearing old stockings, mates or not, with western boots...for one never knew when the boots might have to come off. It was an amusing custom to us. In our outfit, footwear - either boots or shoes - was easily identified, so if we were looking for someone we could walk down the street, inspect the shoes parked outside the different places, and the person could be easily located. Several pair of cowboy boots lined up generally indicated a Geisha house and always attracted quite a bit of attention from the passerby...I also remember several cowboys' wives sweeping down the street inspecting the waiting boots with blood in their eyes." |
| Lorena Trickey (1893-1961), a bronc, Roman, and relay rider, captured the McAlpin Trophy in 1920, 1921, and 1924 as champion all-around cowgirl at Cheyenne Frontier Days. In 1925 she won the bronc riding title at Chicago and several championships at Pendleton. She doubled for Mary Pickford in the movie Through the Back Door and worked with Tom Mix in The Queen of Sheba. Accused of stabbing to death her common-law husband, J. P. "Smiling Slim" Harris, during an argument, Trickey pleaded self-defense and was found not guilty in 1927. She married Magnus "Pete" Peterson in 1928 and the following year they retired from rodeo. |  Lorena Trickey, Pendleton Round-up, 1924, photo by Ralph R. Doubleday, 1979.026.1973 with boot book inset, Blucher Fitting Book, Volume 24, 1922, page 389, 2001.022.023. |
 Chester Byers, World Champion Trick Roper, circa 1925, photo by Ralph R. Doubleday, 2001.036.149 with boot book inset, Blucher Fitting Book, Volume 32, 1923, page 34, 2001.022.031. |
One of the greatest trick and fancy rope spinners of all time, Chester Byers (1892-1945) was described by Will Rogers in the following way: "Chet knows more about roping than any man in the world. He is one man in his line that is absolute Champion. He is what I would call a 'natural' roper, what I mean by that he does everything 'right' with a rope, he dont [sic] do anything 'wrong.' I only have two things that I will always die very proud of, one of them was that I used to teach Chet Byers tricks with a rope, and the other was that I waved at the train that Queen Marie was on, and I will always believe she saw me." |
| The daughter of California Frank Hafley, Reine Hafley Shelton (1902-1979) was called the World's Greatest Lady Trick Rider. For a time she performed a highly successful act jumping 50 feet into a tank of water atop an Arabian horse named Lurline. With California Frank's show Shelton, in addition to trick and bronc riding, performed as an elephant rider and an oriental and flamenco dancer. In 1918 she began her competitive career placing second in the trick riding at Cheyenne Frontier Days. Shelton earned over $125 by winning the bronc riding event at Madison Square Garden in 1924. In 1925 she eloped with Dick Shelton while he was performing with Miller Brothers 101 Ranch Wild West Show. |  Reine Hafley Shelton on "St. Patrick" at the Wichita Falls Rodeo, circa 1935, photo by Ralph R. Doubleday, 1979.026.1588 with boot book inset, Blucher Fitting Book, Volume 32, 1923, page 362, 2001.022.023. |
 Pinky Gist and Freckles, circa 1935, photo by Ralph R. Doubleday, 1979.026.1442 with boot book inset, Blucher Fitting Book, Volume 24, 1921, page 83, 2001.022.023. |
Believed to be one of the first to include trained mules in his acts, Clarence W. "Pinky" Gist (1892-1970) was most active as rodeo clown between 1946 and 1950, between the ages of 54 and 58. He and his two mules, Mickey and Freckles, clowned at many rodeo venues. |
