Riding Pretty: Rodeo Royalty in the American West (Women in the West)

Riding Pretty: The Evolution of the Community-Sponsored Rodeo Queen is a captivating book that delves into the history, evolution, and significance of the community-sponsored rodeo queen phenomenon in the American West.

From its origins at the 1910 Pendleton Round-Up to the advent of Miss Rodeo America in 1956, this comprehensive study sheds light on the role of these queens as symbols of local rodeos and metaphors for western women.

With a focus on the expansion of their responsibilities and the communities they represented, Laegreid offers an engaging case study of how some women navigated gender and race boundaries within the mythic US West.

This informative and thought-provoking book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of rodeos, western culture, or the evolution of gender roles.