Rose Bascom also known as Texas Rose Bascom (January 25, 1922 – September 23, 1993) is a 1981

National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame is located in Fort Worth, Texas, US. Established in 1975, it is dedicated to honoring women of the American West who have displayed extraordinary courage and pioneering fortitude. The museum is an educ ...

trick rider Trick riding refers to the act of performing stunts while horseback riding, such as the rider standing upright on the back of a galloping horse, using a specially designed saddle with a reinforced steel horn, and specialized kossak loops for ...

inductee.

Life

Rose Bascom was born Ethel Rose Flynt on January 25, 1922, near

Mount Olive, Mississippi Mount Olive is a town in Covington County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 895 at the 2020 census. History The town of Mount Olive was incorporated on May 18, 1900, making the town older than Magee to the north and older than Coll ...

, in

Covington County, Mississippi Covington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the population was 19,568. Its county seat is Collins. The county is named for U.S. Army officer and Congressman Leonard Covington. History Covingt ...

. Bascom was of

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, th ...

- Choctaw Native American descent. She also had British and German ancestry.

Career

Bascom lived in

Arm, Mississippi Arm is an unincorporated community in Lawrence County, Mississippi, United States. Arm is located on Mississippi Highway 43 east-southeast of Monticello, and south of the junction with Mississippi Highway 43A. History When the Gulf and Ship I ...

. She learned fancy trick roping from her brother-in-law,

Earl Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form '' jarl'', and meant " chieftain", partic ...

. After learning to trick ride and rope from Pearl Elder, Rose performed for the first time at the Columbia Rodeo in 1937 becoming known as the "Queen of the Mississippi Cowgirls." Rose became so adept at trick roping she later toured throughout the world and became known as the "World's Greatest Female Trick Roper". She is the only known female trick roper to master the skill of spinning three ropes at the same time—twirling a rope in each hand and a third one in her mouth (teeth or toes). In 1937, Rose married Weldon Bascom, a professional rodeo competitor. Soon she became known by the monicker, "World's Greatest Female Trick Roper". The newspaper press dubbed her act "the most beautiful stage performance in the world". She toured with the USO. In 1938, Rose and her husband moved to

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the List of cities in Texas by population, fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the List of United States cities by population, 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, T ...

, where he worked for the Fort Worth Stock Yards. In 1939, Rose and Weldon moved to

Rock Springs, Wyoming Rock Springs is a city in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 23,036 at the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state of Wyoming, and the most populous city in Sweetwater County. Rock Springs is ...

, where Weldon worked in the coal mines. During her career, Texas Rose Bascom was a professional trick roper,

, and

movie actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), l ...

. She became known as "Queen of the Trick Ropers". Texas Rose joined the

United Service Organizations The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...

entertainment troupe to tour around the world. She developed a fluorescent tricking roping act which was billed "The Most Beautiful Stage Performance in the World". Bascom and her husband retired to their Rush Lake Ranch in

St. George, Utah St. George is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Utah, United States. Located in southwestern Utah on the Arizona border, it is the principal city of the St. George Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The city lies in the no ...

. She died at the age of 71 on September 23, 1993.

Legacy

* National Cowgirl Hall of Fame, inducted in 1981 *

Utah Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum The Utah Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, located in Ogden, Utah, is a state-recognized museum which collects and presents artifacts of the American frontier. It is situated in Ogden Union Station, along with the Utah State Railroad Museu ...

, inducted in 2013. * Mississippi Rodeo Hall of Fame, inducted in 2017.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bascom, Rose 1922 births 1993 deaths People from Washington County, Utah People from Mount Olive, Mississippi American female equestrians Cowgirl Hall of Fame inductees American people of Cherokee descent American people of Choctaw descent 20th-century American women American people of British descent American people of German descent