August 2017 28 By Jim Olson, ©2017 www.TotallyWestern.com To see a petite young lady roping and tying a steer or performing stunts on horseback is special. To do it in the early 1900s, an era of rough and tough, “real cowboys,” and do it as well as, or better than, the men—is incredible. Lucille Mulhall was born October 21, 1885, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Colonel Zack and Agnes Mulhall. The family relocated to Oklahoma during the great land rush of 1889 and homesteaded one-hundred- sixty acres. The Mulhalls eventually laid claim to about eighty-thousand acres of rangeland located north of Guthrie—some of which was leased land. However, much of it was open range they simply controlled and claimed by virtue of use and being on it (a common practice of the day). By age seven, Lucille was riding the range, being taught cowboy (or cowgirl) ways by men who rode the open range, in what was then “Indian Territory.” Zack Mulhall once claimed that when his daughter was only thirteen, he told her she could keep as many of his steers as she could rope in one day. He bragged, “She didn’t quit until catching more than three-hundred head!” Col. Zach Mulhall (a title bestowed upon him despite never serving in the military) started a “Wild West show” in the early 1900s. Many early movie cowboys, including Tom Mix, and Will Rogers got their start in Mulhall’s Congress of Rough Riders and Ropers. Lucille also starred in the show. She was among the first women to compete in roping and riding events with men and earned many championships. Today she is often celebrated as the “first cowgirl”. Will Rogers wrote, “Lucille’s achievement in competition with cowboys was the direct start of what has since come to be known as the Cowgirl. There was no such a word up to then as Cowgirl.” The term was first used to describe Lucille when she dazzled Easterners in her initial appearance at Madison Square Garden in 1905. “Against these bronzed and war-scarred veterans of the plains, a delicately featured blonde girl appeared,” a New York reporter wrote. “Slight of figure, refined and neat in appearance, attired in a becoming riding habit for hard riding, wearing a picturesque Mexican sombrero and holding in one hand a lariat of the finest cowhide, Lucille Mulhall comes forward to show what an eighteen-year-old girl can do in roping steers. In three minutes and thirty-six seconds, she lassoed and tied three steers. The veteran cowboys did their best to beat it, but their best was several seconds slower than the girl’s record-breaking time... The cowboys and plainsmen who were gathered in large numbers to witness the contest broke into tremendous applause when the championship gold medal was awarded to the slight, pale-faced girl.” However, Lucille was a cowgirl long before becoming an entertainer. “By the age of fourteen,” the New York Times reported, “She could break a bronco and shoot a coyote at five- hundred yards.” Newspapers tagged her with titles like “Daring Beauty of the Plains,” “Queen of the Range” and “Deadshot Girl,” but the one that lasted the test of time was “Cowgirl.” It has been argued that the term “cowgirl” had been in use since before she was even born, but few would argue that Lucille was the first to give it national significance. Even the great Geronimo was said to be an admirer of Lucille’s talent and once gave her a beaded vest and decorated Indian bow—items she reportedly treasured her entire life. Teddy Roosevelt was also among Lucille’s fans. While campaigning in Oklahoma in 1900, he saw her perform. It was the Fourth of July, and she roped in front of a large crowd at a “Cowboy Tournament” in Oklahoma City. The Daily Oklahoman reported, “Roosevelt was most enchanted with the daring feats of Lucille Mulhall. She rode beautifully throughout the contest and lassoed the wildest steer in the field.” Teddy Roosevelt was so impressed by Lucille’s skills that he invited the Mulhalls to join him and a select group of the Rough Riders for a private dinner. That night Lucille gave the future President a silk scarf she had worn during the contest. Zack Mulhall later invited Roosevelt to stay at his ranch and the invitation was accepted. After watching Lucille’s skills with a horse, rope and gun on the ranch, Roosevelt encouraged her father to get her more exposure. “Zack, before that girl dies or gets married or cuts up some other caper,” Roosevelt reportedly said, “you ought to put her on stage and let the world see what she can do.” The rest, as they say, is history. Legend has it that Ol’ Teddy went riding with Lucille and they spotted a grey wolf, and we all know Roosevelt loved to hunt. The wolf eluded them that day but Mr. Roosevelt told Lucille if she could catch the wolf, he would invite her to his inaugural parade. Some claim she later roped the wolf, then killed it, others say she shot it at five-hundred yards. But by all accounts, she sent the pelt to Mr. Roosevelt who displayed it in the White House after he and McKinley won the election. Lucille and family attended the inauguration and Roosevelt reportedly gave her a saddle and an 1873 Winchester. Besides starring in Mulhall’s Wild West show, Lucille also performed in the Miller Brothers 101 Ranch Wild West show (another well-known Wild West show from the day), in Vaudeville, and Lucille’s career even took her to Europe, where she performed for heads of state and royalty. In 1913 she and her brother, Charley, formed a company of their own and produced “The Lucille Mulhall Roundup.” Lucille became known world-wide as the greatest (and first) cowgirl—the result of her fine roping skills. Her talents were, in part, fine-tuned by another natural cowboy—Will Rogers. Rogers was a life-long friend of Lucille’s (both came from Oklahoma