[Udderly Art]    [Who we donate to]  About Us   Heritage Cowgirls showed the world that courage, skill and raw talent were not the exclusive domain of men. Lucille Mulhall   Click  on Image to Enlarge Lucille Mulhall was the woman for whom the term "cowgirl" was coined. First competing with men at the age of 13, Lucille later won three gold medals in Texas for steer roping, as well as many other medals, trophies and honors. Lucille had a natural talent for horse training and in 1912 had trained her best known horse "Governor" to take a man's coat off, put it back on, and walk up and down stairs, as well as many other unusual tricks. Will Rogers called her the world's greatest rider. Tillie Baldwin Click  on Image to Enlarge Born in Norway, Tillie Baldwin moved to America as a teenager. Drawn to adventure and travel, Tillie became a part of the Miller Brothers 101 Wild West Show. She was a champion trick rider, relay racer and bronc rider. At the Winnipeg Stampede in 1913, Tillie won the Standing Roman Race over the male competitors. This race involves racing around a track standing with each foot on one of two horses. Tillie was the only woman to try, and excel at, steer wrestling. Top of Page Calamity Jane Click  on Image to Enlarge   Martha Jane Cannary, born in 1848, was best known as Calamity Jane. Working as a scout for General Custer in 1870, Martha left her skirts for the more comfortable uniform of a soldier. Martha was popular with the men in the company who respected her unlimited nerve and courage. Her nickname came from Captain Egan in 1872. The captain was surrounded by a large band of Indians. He was wounded, unhorsed, and fighting desperately for his life. Martha rode into the center of the fighting, lifted the captain onto her horse and galloped back out. While the captain survived thanks to Martha, the rest of the company was killed. During his recovery Captain Egan laughingly referred to Martha as "Calamity Jane, the heroine of the plains". Martha retired in 1885 to marry Clinton Burk and eventually raise her baby girl - who looked like her father but had the temper of her mother. Annie Oakley Click  on Image to Enlarge Annie Oakley is perhaps the best known cowgirl. Born in 1860 as Phoebe Moses, she could shoot a running quail at 12 years of age. The star of the Buffalo Bill show, Annie could outshoot anyone (including her husband, the exhibition marksman Frank Butler), even while riding a bicycle and shooting while looking at the target's reflection in a mirror. Top of Page Mabel Strickland Click  on Image to Enlarge Mabel Strickland, a model for the magazine Vogue, won the all-round cowgirl championship in 1923. In 1925 she roped and tied a steer in 24 seconds, breaking the world record. May Manning Click  on Image to Enlarge May Manning, born in the late 1800's, learned to ride and shoot from the Pawnee Indians. With her husband, she created Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. Even riding side saddle on a running horse, she was a great marksman. Top of Page Udderly Art Artist: Mac MacKenzie Owner: Cowgirl Cattle Company Charity: Western Heritage Centre It took exactly five days for the Cowgirl Cattle Company to establish a blue-chip credit rating at the Cochrane branch of the Scotiabank.   On March 30, twin sisters Judy MacKenzie and Jill Richards marched up to branch manager Jan Austin and launched an unusual pitch: they needed a fast $5,350 loan on behalf of the CCC.   Why? To buy a fiberglass cow, of course.   At the time, the twins were unknown to Austin. But something about their story tickled her fancy. She approved the loan and was only mildly shocked when it was repaid in full (including the $10.16 in interest) by April 4.   Longtime Cochrane-area ranchers, Judy and Jill had been captivated by the Udderly Art concept from the start. But they lacked the ready cash to get in the game.   That's when they dreamed up the Cowgirl Cattle Company, a consortium of far-flung females with country roots and home addresses ranging from Dawson Creek, British Columbia, to Milk River, Alberta to Fir Mountain, Saskatchewan.   Membership requirements: 1. No cowboys need apply; 2. Mandatory dues of $100 to finance Brandy; 3. Access to a currently registered brand in the family by birth or by marriage.   Once they got a thumbs up on their loan, the twins began working the phones. Within a day they doubled their original goal of 50 stockholders. Soon after, they cranked the numbers in support of Brandy beyond 180. She was painted by Judy MacKenzie's husband, Mac, and dressed up with 100 genuine Southern Alberta cattle brands.   Today, the roster of the Cowgirl Cattle Company reads like a Southern Alberta Who's Who, including names such as Copithorne (11 members), Cross, Daines, Edge (9 members), Lammle and Harvie.   The newly formed CCC was born to run. Its original objective was to raise funds for Cochrane's Western Heritage Centre, and with that goal in the bag, the cowgirls plan to address future causes as they come along.   They've already booked the Centre's boardroom for annual meetings 10 years down the road.  This blue-chip outfit is in for the long haul. Reprinted with permission from Udderly Art, Colourful Cows for Calgary by Tom Keyser Top of Page Donations We have forwarded the generous donations of our members to the three charities of choice, as noted at our 2003 Rendezvous.   STARS Alberta Children's Hospital Breast Cancer Research   Evan Shaw VIP Table Total donations came to over $12,000! Well done gals! You should be very proud of supporting our community - that's the Cowgirl Way. All of the recipients were most appreciative and keen to learn more about our Cowgirl organization.   Thought for the month "Times change and we with time - but not in the ways of friendship"   Top of Page   CIBC Run for Cure CIBC Run for Cure . CIBC Run for Cure