Tough Tillie
Tillie is proof you don’t have to grow up riding to become a top notch cowgirl! I’m Susan Allen inviting you to stay tuned for a little rodeo history on today’s Open Range. Born in Norway in 1888 as Anna Matilda Winger, Tillie Baldwin immigrated to America when she was eighteen, having competed in skiing, skating and canoeing in her native land. She moved to NYC and began her adult life as a hair dresser but became inspired to learn trick riding after seeing a cowgirl movie being filmed, even though she had never been on a horse or seen a ranch. Thus taking the stage name “Tillie” she worked in Wild West Shows and vaudeville until she was introduced to the sport that would get her nominated into both Cowgirl and Cowboy Hall of Fames. Having competed in aggressive sports in Norway, Ms. Tillie decided she was not going to wear the cumbersome split skirts like other cowgirls so she fashioned some bloomers after turn of the century European gymnasts and found they gave her the freedom to do amazing tricks on a horse, like the first handstand. In 1911 Tillie began to rodeo and in 1912 and stunned the Pendleton Round-up crowd by competing and winning both the trick riding and saddle bronc in her now famous bloomers. Besides becoming one of the world’s greatest cowgirl bronc riders, this fearless athlete was the first woman to win a roman race—standing on the back of two galloping horses—and to try bulldogging—wrestling full-grown steers to the ground. Undoubtedly a pistol, not to mention darn cute with her thick braids, Tillie proved you don’t have to have to come from ranching background to be a cowgirl.
