Tuesday, May 8, 2012


RODEO HISTORY 101 - PAULINE NESBITT. Pauline Nesbitt was born Jane Slovensky in 1907 and raised on a Wisconsin farm where she first fell in love with horses. She began her rodeo career at age 17 (as a bronc rider) but after seeing Tad Lucas perform in San Antonio, Texas, she added trick riding to her repertoire. Nesbitt had a successful rodeo career--performing regularly with Gene Autry at Madison Square Garden in New York City and Boston Garden in Boston, Massachussetts. She also competed at Cheyenne, Wyoming; Fort Worth, Texas; Kerrville, Texas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Denver, Colorado. In 1938 Nesbitt won World Champion Trick and Fancy Rider. Nesbitt made all of her own costumes and took up modeling. She, along with Tad Lucas, Polly Mills, and Iva Del Draksler, modeled in western wear in the 1941 Sears, Roebuck & Company mail order catalog. Nesbitt purchased a small ranch where she lived, ran cattle, and continued ranching until the 1980’s.

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