This book, which is about much more than 'gender, whiteness, and power in rodeo,' encompasses the history of women and ethnic minorities in the settling and historical retelling of the West. The authors attempt to historically categorize the various periods of women's participation in the sport of rodeo in the West. From neo-Victorian and pin-up to sex kitten, women have always played a significant role in rodeo performance. Conditions did not 'improve' for women in the twentieth century in the sport; the marginalization of women reflected larger currents within American gender norms and the growing professionalization of rodeo. The authors complicate the narrative by discussing ethnic women and men within rodeo, reflecting the multiculturalism within the sport and the West.... The story that the authors relate is important enough that students of western history, gender, and sport will all find the book valuable. The authors include a significant number of photos and illustrations to demonstrate how women were culturally represented in rodeo. Summing Up: Recommended. Undergraduates and above.

Choice Reviews

Reminiscent of studies by Mary Lou LeCompte, Renee Laegreid, and Joan Burbick, this book takes its place among an emerging critical scholarship on the continent’s signature western sport.

Great Plains Quarterly

Gender, Whiteness and Power in Rodeo peels back the layers of rodeo and offers a refreshing look at this popular pastime that has mesmerized generations of fans. While unraveling the way in which rodeo is imagined in American popular culture, Tracy Owens Patton and Sally Schedlock boldly challenge us to rethink what social predispositions are simultaneously and perhaps implicitly being celebrated and why. This book is more than a simple exploration of a popular sport; it is hands down the most comprehensive and socially compelling treatment of rodeo and culture available today, and a very enjoyable read!

Ronald L. Jackson II, professor of media, race & identity, and author of African American Communication: Exploring Identity and Culture

Patton and Schedlock analyze the contributions of women and ethnic minorities in U.S. rodeo culture with a conviction of purpose akin to that demonstrated by those they spotlight in this significant balancing of historical fact and pervasive mythology. Drawing on years of research into the culture of rodeos and ranches, Patton and Schedlock forthrightly move women and ethnic minorities from 'the back of the story' to the center of the arena, at once enriching the story and spotlighting the passion and courage of those previously made invisible by white cowboy mythology.

Julianne H. Newton, University of Oregon