I would not have the same expression of glee on my face if I were to try anything that involved jumping over a car. However, the Roman Jump was a signature stunt for Cowgirl Alice Sisty who was a rodeo headliner in the 1940s. The petite Sisty (she was 5’2″ and weighed barely 100 pounds) originally trained to be a teacher. As the daughter of a circuit-riding parson, Alice grew up riding. After spending a summer at a dude ranch in Nevada, she hatched a plan to keep the horse she had grown attached to. As part of a bet, she planned to ride him from Reno to New York. When news of her ride came out, she was asked to carry an invitation to Frontier Day to the mayor of New York, Jimmy Walker. That ride propelled her to fame and set her on the course of a rodeo rider.
Awesome picture! I have always wanted to jump a car but never thought of doing it with two horses at once!
Reblogged this on SykOse.
what is your source for the information about the summer at a dude ranch and the bet for riding back east?
I suspect it was from this article although I read a lot of background materials on her.
http://www.buckit-list.com/inspiring-stories/profile-of-alice-sisty.html
You are a fan of Alice’s?
Have you checked out my biography? http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sistydescendents/Alice%20Sisty.htm
I would love to have your comments/input.