The Best Rodeo Books 2024

1. Cowgirl Up!: A History of Rodeoing Women, Used [Paperback]

?When someone says "Cowgirl Up!" it means rise to the occasion, don't give up, and ?do it all without whining or complaining. And the cowgirls of the early twentieth century did it all, just like the men, only wearing skirts and sometimes with a baby waiting behind the chutes.?Women learned to rope and ride out of necessity, helping their fathers, brothers, and husbands with the ranch work. But for some women, it went further than that. They caught the fever of freedom, the thirst for adrenaline, and the thrill of competition, and many started their rodeo careers as early as age fourteen. From Alice and Margie Greenough of Red Lodge, whose father told them "If you can't ride 'em, walk," to Jane Burnett Smith of Gilt Edge who sneaked off to ride in rodeos at age eleven, women made wide inroads into the masculine world of rodeo.?Montana boasts its share of women who "busted broncs" and broke ranks in the macho world of rodeo during the early to mid-1900s. Cowgirl Up! is the history of these cowgirls, their courage, and their accomplishments.?

Cowgirl Up! : A History of Rodeo Women, Used [Paperback]

2. Let 'er buck!, Used [Hardcover]

Let 'er buck! by Douglas K. Hall

Let 'er buck!, Used [Hardcover]

3. Casey Tibbs - Born to Ride, Used [Paperback]

Rodeo superstar Casey Tibbs lives again in Rusty Richards' authorized biography of the memorable, charismatic cowboy from South Dakota. Movingly written, Richards spent over twenty years meticulously researching, interviewing, and capturing vibrant memories and recollections of the six-time world champion saddle bronc rider. Born in a log home in the wilds of South Dakota, the youngest of ten children, Tibbs grew to be the most well-known, popular rodeo star of all time. Richards' biography is all-inclusive and also covers the Roberts family, including rodeo greats Ken, Gerald, and E.C. Roberts, along with Jim Shoulders, Deb Copenhaver, Carl Olson, Ben Johnson, Gene Pruett, Bill Linderman and so many more. In addition, Richards recounts Casey's phenomenal success in Hollywood and his friendship with Audie Murphy, his Las Vegas associations, and his world tours promoting rodeo and the Wild West. Richards does not gloss over Casey's battles with alcohol and gambling addictions, either. This is a biography that inspires, amuses, saddens, and gives real meaning to determination and grit. Casey Tibbs deserves to have his story told, and Rusty Richards has done an excellent job of doing so.

Casey Tibbs - Born to Ride, Used [Paperback]

4. Wild Ride: The History of Western Rodeo [Hardcover - Used]

CONDITION - USED - Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include "From the library of" labels or previous owner inscriptions. Accessories such as CD, codes, toys, may not be included. Wild Ride The History and Lore of Rodeo Joel Bernstein Wild Ride presents a fascinating history of rodeo from its rugged beginnings in Mexico to today's professional circuits. This book captures the mystique of the cowboy and his place in Western folklore, from the early days when groups of cowboys from neighboring ranches met to settle arguments over who was the best at performing ranching tasks to the multimillion-dollar prizes and endorsements awarded to today's professionals all over the world including Canada, Brazil, and Australia.

Wild Ride : The History of Western Rodeo, Used

5. Montana Rodeos [Paperback - Used]

CONDITION - USED - Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include "From the library of" labels or previous owner inscriptions. Accessories such as CD, codes, toys, may not be included. Montana Rodeos by Chris Huck; Debbie Huck

Montana Rodeos [Paperback - Used]

6. Gold Buckle Dreams: The Rodeo Life of Chris Ledoux. [Paperback - Used]

CONDITION - USED - Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include "From the library of" labels or previous owner inscriptions. Accessories such as CD, codes, toys, may not be included. Gold Buckle Dreams: The Rodeo Life of Chris LeDoux by David G. Brown; Before he was a country and western superstar, he was a rodeo legend. Rodeo was Chris LeDoux's passion and he was one of the top bareback riders in the sport. He lived the vagabond life of a rodeo cowboy and captured the lifestyle in song. Long before he was made famous by Garth Brooks, LeDoux was manufacturing his own music cassettes and selling them out of his rigging bag. This is a brand new copy of a hard to find book that tells the story of a man that lived his dream. Paperback - 230 pages.

Gold Buckle Dreams: The Rodeo Life of Chris Ledoux., Used [Paperback]

7. Chasing the Rodeo: On Wild Rides and Big Dreams, Broken Hearts and Broken Bones, and One Man's Search for the West [Paperback - Used]

CONDITION - USED - Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include "From the library of" labels or previous owner inscriptions. Accessories such as CD, codes, toys, may not be included. From its roots as the quintessential Western pastime, rodeo has grown to an international, prime-time television sport. Steeped in tradition and the independent spirit of the range, aspiring cowboys and cowgirls are called to its high-stakes, rough-and-tumble fame as they risk their lives for eight seconds of triumph. In Chasing the Rodeo W. K. Stratton follows this quest for one season of the pro rodeo and bull-riding tours. He explores the history of the chutes -- from rodeo's disputed origins (Prescott, Arizona, or Pecos, Texas?) to its current skyrocketing popularity. But out on the trail Stratton finds more than calf-roping and unrideable bulls, uncovering a culture complete with myths, codes of honor, million-dollar purses, Cowboy Church, and the kinds of legends that make good stories unforgettable. Just such a story emerges here as Stratton tells of his runaway "rodeo bum" father --Cowboy Don -- whose specter haunts his travels on the circuit. As he learns more about the life that proved too seductive for his father to abandon, Stratton fills in a portrait of the man he never knew but whose legacy he couldn't help but inherit. Filled with cowboy longing and rodeo dreams, this is a tribute to the characters of the West -- Freckles Brown, Lucille Mulhall (the first cowgirl), Wild Bill Hickock, Lane Frost, and today's superstars like Jesse Bail. In the great tradition of Wallace Stegner and Ken Kesey, W. K. Stratton fashions an expansive tale out of the gritty reality of the life around us. Chasing the Rodeo is a bucking, riveting, glorious ride -- you'll want to hang on for the whole go-round.

Chasing the Rodeo : On Wild Rides and Big Dreams, Broken Hearts and Broken Bones, and One Man's Search for the West, Used [Paperback]

8. Roughstock: The Toughest Events in Rodeo [Hardcover - Used]

CONDITION - USED - Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include "From the library of" labels or previous owner inscriptions. Accessories such as CD, codes, toys, may not be included. The cowboy is an American classic who taps into a wellspring of cultural memories. And the most thrilling real-life setting for a modern cowboy is roughstock rodeo, an edge sport that makes professional wrestling look like a picnic. Celebrating this increasingly popular event is Roughstock, the first full-color photography book dedicated solely to rodeo culture. Photojournalist John Annerino's quest to capture this extreme sport on film has come with a cost - he's been clipped by bulls and stomped, kicked, and trampled by broncos. From California to Virginia, Roughstock documents Native American, African-American, all-women, and traditional rodeos with a gallery of unforgettable characters and the animals they try to tame - with 130 full-color shots that are up close, mean, and personal, and never before published.

Roughstock: The Toughest Events in Rodeo, Used [Hardcover]

9. Cowboy Catalog, Used [Hardcover]

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Cowboy Catalog, Used [Hardcover]

10. Behind the Chutes: The Mystique of the Rodeo Cowboy, Used [Paperback]

Learn about cowboys from the others of the showy rodeo arena - how they live, practice their sport, prepare for their performance, and spend their time traveling ceaselessly from one go-round to the next. Witness the business side of the rodeo-the money, the commitment, and the dedication involved in the only professional sport where the athletes pay to compete.

Behind the Chutes: The Mystique of the Rodeo Cowboy, Used [Paperback]