Ollie Osborn

Ollie Osborn was born July 24, 1896 in Union, Oregon to George and Mary Ellen (Hall) Osborn.

At the age of 16, she began going to rodeos with her brother and soon started riding bucking horses. She enjoyed it so much that she traveled to several rodeos including Madison Square Garden in New York City. At one time she worked for a man that had a wild west how. She received several awards for her bronc riding, one which includes membership in the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame.

Ollie was the first woman to pursue the sport of rodeo full-time and be a constant champion. Born to Oregon homestead ranchers, she began competing in the early relay races when she was a teenager, but she discovered bronc riding and made a name for herself by riding “slick” without hobbles, like the men. Remembered for her daring rides and extravagant tailor-mode clothes.

Her first taste of big time rodeo was at the 1914 Frontier Days in Walla Walla. Ollie Osborn might well have gone on to become a leading Hollywood star had the lure of the rodeo circuit not proved so strong.

The opportunity to head to Hollywood came at Madison Square Garden in New York two years later when Hoot Gibson, the big name rodeo star who was just beginning to make a name for himself in movies, saw her perform. At that time Ollie was a bronc rider and relay racer.

“Hoot caught the show and later told me I should quit rodeo and join him in the movies,: Ollie recalls, “But I wanted to see more of the world and the rodeo circuit was a fascinating thing for a young girl in those days….fast moving, excitement all the time…it was a fine life.”

1916 was the year Ollie went on the coast-to-coast circuit, signing on with Big B.B. Irwin Show out of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Ollie, an eager girl of 20, signed for the season at $60 a month plus board and half of her earning sin the arena. “It wouldn’t have amounted to more than $100 a month,” she felt. “Purses then were quite a bit smaller than now and besides, we girls competed against the best men rodeo stars in the business.”

The season started in June and ended late in the fall. It was probably the most successful season of all for riding. As Ollie went the entire season without a buck-off. That’s fair riding in any league. She continued to ride until 1932.

During World War II, she worked in the defense plant in Hermiston until an accident caused her to retire.

Ollie Osborn died June 11, 1989 in Union, Oregon at the age or 92.