Publisher's Synopsis
Marie Gibson, more popularly as "Buckskin Mary" is considered one of Canada's and America's legendary lady rodeo riders of the 1920s. Using first-hand accounts written by Marie herself, historian and relative April Farnham tells the story of Marie's rise to rodeo fame during the Golden Age of Sport (1919-1929) in which many professional lady rodeo riders made a name for themselves on national and international rodeo circuits. From her beginnings as a horse racer in Canada until her untimely death in 1933 at a bronc-riding competition in Idaho Falls, Marie's horse riding skills earned the attention, respect, and admiration of British royalty, major rodeo promoters, Hollywood, and thousands of adoring spectators. She earned the title of World Champion Lady Bronc Rider at the Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo in 1924 and twice earned the title of World Bronc Riding Cowgirl Champion in 1927 and 1931. This book tells the full story of her extraordinary career as a rodeo professional, often overlooked by historians, with many never-before-published images courtesy of the Montana Historical Society, National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, the University of Calgary, the Glenbow Library and Archives of Canada, and private family collections.