Cowgirl honorees exemplify courage

On Thursday at Will Rogers Memorial Center, the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame will honor five such women at the 35th annual induction luncheon. Each honoree was selected to exemplify the courage and independence of women who shaped the American West. Betty Dusek, an all-around champion in professional rodeo with 14 titles, competed during the golden age of the all-girl rodeo. She was director of calf roping contests in the developmental years of the Girls Rodeo Association. Kay Gay knows rodeo inside and out, from keeping time and scheduling livestock truckers to actually competing as a barrel racer. Her dedication to preserving our Western heritage continues with her work for the Mesquite Championship Rodeo and the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. Having published four books and over 200 articles on animal welfare subjects, Temple Grandin is known for designing livestock facilities with handling systems to lessen anxiety for animals and provide greater safety and efficiency for the plants. She also speaks publicly of the obstacles of autism she has faced. As author, teacher, cattle rancher and naturalist, Joyce Gibson Roach enjoys many awards for her writing which focuses on Texas and the Southwest. Her book The Cowgirls is considered to be a primer for women on horseback, from ranch to rodeo. The late Hortense Ward was the first woman admitted into the Texas Bar Association and the first in the South to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. She staunchly defended women's rights and spearheaded the act that allowed married women in Texas to control their own property and earnings...more