March 17, 2025

This Week in the West: Alice Greenough Orr

4 minutes

🤠This Week in the West

🎙️ Episode 20: Alice Greenough Orr

📢 Episode Summary:

On this week’s episode of This Week in the West, we meet Alice Greenough Orr, a Montana ranch girl who became the First Lady of Rodeo. While performing in Spain, Alice found herself in a bullfighting arena where the matador had failed to finish the job. The restless crowd grew impatient—until Alice stepped forward, jumped onto the still-angry bull, and rode it, holding onto its ears until it threw her off. The matador was booed out of the ring, but Alice left the arena as a legend.

Born on March 17, 1902, Alice grew up breaking horses on her family’s ranch before taking a job as a teenage mail carrier, covering 37 miles a day on horseback. When a group of cowboys dared her to ride a bucking bronco at a local rodeo, she took the challenge—and discovered her calling.

Alice’s rodeo career spanned decades, earning her four world championships and a leading role in shaping the sport. She helped establish the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

🔍 What You’ll Learn:

How Alice Greenough Orr became one of the most celebrated women in rodeo history

The story of how she upstaged a Spanish matador by riding a furious bull

Her role in shaping modern rodeo, from fair pay for cowboys to the introduction of women’s barrel racing

👥 Behind the Scenes

Host: Seth Spillman

Producer: Chase Spivey

Writer: Mike Koehler

🔗 Further research:

Alice’s obituary in the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/24/obituaries/alice-orr-93-top-bronc-rider-and-rodeo-star.html

A short video from Montana PBS: https://youtu.be/RYg8QM2gcVo?si=bYfHSOUdR6-tULJD

Alice’s bio from the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame: https://montanacowboyfame.org/inductees/2010/7/alice-greenough

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🗺️ Visit Us:

The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73111. See us on the map

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🎧 Listen & Subscribe:

🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708

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By The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

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