Cowgirls came from a special segment of the population. Most were and are from ranches west of the ninety-eighth meridian. Until World War II, virtually all were working-class, first- or second-generation Americans with no more than an eighth-grade education. As a matter of economic necessity, they grew up roping, riding, and working on their family ranches. Shelly Armitage calls their home area the 'cattle frontier', and correctly suggests that its unique environment contributed to the development of heroic women.
Cowgirls of the Rodeo: Pioneer Professional Athletes by Mary Lou LeCompte










