Fern Sawyer

Fern Sawyer (1917 – October 16, 1993, also known as Fern Eidson[1]) was an American cowgirl, rodeo champion, politician and inductee into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame and the Rodeo Hall of Fame of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. She was the first woman to win the cutting horse competition at the 1945 Fort Worth Fat Stock Show and Rodeo. Sawyer was also the first woman appointed to the New Mexico State Fair Board. She was well known for her "flashy attire," according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.[2] She lived in Crossroads,[3] Lovington,[4] and Nogal, New Mexico.[5] She was also a charter member of the National Cutting Horse Association and the first director of the Girls Rodeo Association.[6]

Fern Sawyer

Early life

Sawyer was born near Yeso, New Mexico.[7] Sawyer grew up on a ranch where her father insisted she "perform as well as the men if she was to help with the ranch work," according to the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.[8] Sawyer began to enter rodeo competitions while she was in high school.[7] She attended Texas Tech for about 3 years, studying home economics.[7] At Texas Tech, she was going to be kicked out for attending a rodeo.[9]

Career

She was sponsored by Madison Square Garden in a rodeo event in 1939.[10] In 1943, she defeated twenty men in the Pecos rodeo.[11] Sawyer was also the first woman to win 1st place in the cutting horse competition at the 1945 Fort Worth Fat Stock Show and Rodeo.[8][12] In the 1945 show, she was the only woman competing.[6] In 1946, she came in second in cutting at the Fort Worth Stock Show.[13] In 1947, she earned the title of All-Around world Champion Cowgirl.[7][14] Sawyer stopped competing in rodeo in 1949.[12] She worked as a judge for rodeo and other equestrian contests afterwards.[1][15]

In 1963,[16] she was appointed to by Governor Jack Campbell to become the first woman to serve on the New Mexico State Fair Board.[7] In 1969, she was elected the Lincoln County Democratic Party chairperson.[17] She was not re-appointed to the state fair board in 1974 after she backed the opponent of Jerry Apodaca for New Mexico governor.[18][19][20]

Death and honors

In 1976, she was inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame.[8][6] In 1991, she was inducted into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.[21][22] In 1985, she was inducted into the NCHA Members Hall of Fame for her extraordinary contributions to the sport of cutting.[23] An award is given by the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Sawyer's name to recognize cowgirls and ranch women who excel in their field,[24] and who help advance the mission and recognition of the museum and hall of fame.[25][26] The Fern Sawyer Award from the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame was named after her. The inaugural presentation of the award was in 1994 to Anne W. Marion.[27] In 1995, she was inducted into the Western Heritage Museum & Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame.[28] Sawyer died in 1993 of a heart attack while riding a horse.[29][30]

Personal

Sawyer married Scharbauer Eidson of New Mexico in December 1948. They lived in Crossroads, New Mexico, at the time. Their ranch, the Sawyer Ranch, is located in the middle of a big oil field which has paid off.[31] Later, the Eidsons lived on the Shoe Bar Ranch in Lovington, New Mexico. In her latter days, Sawyer took on gentler pursuits such as judging and horse cutting.[1]

References
Specific
  1. "Cattle, Cowpokes, Cowboys Show Set for Museum Today". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. 15 September 1957. Retrieved 4 May 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "The bold buckaroo: An exhibition of mythic and bona fide cowboys". The Santa Fe New Mexican. 12 April 2013. Retrieved 2017-05-04.
  3. "Cutting Horse Contest Is Scheduled Today in Levelland Arena". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. 7 October 1945. Retrieved 4 May 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Rodeo". Abilene Reporter-News. 17 August 1955. Retrieved 4 May 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. Roll, Pat; von Lackum, Laurel (January 1994). "News, Trends, and Facts Shaping Your Horse World". Horse & Rider. 33 (1): 11 – via EBSCOhost.
  6. Kailer, Pat (16 May 1976). "Rodeo Star Joins Hall of Fame". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved 4 May 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. Thompson, Fritz (10 September 1972). "Fern Sawyer First Woman to Serve on State Fair Board". Albuquerque Journal. p. 20. Retrieved 4 May 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Fern Sawyer". Cowgirl Hall of Fame & Museum. Retrieved 2017-05-04.
  9. Jordan 1992, p. 232.
  10. LeCompte 2000, p. 121.
  11. LeCompte 2000, p. 150.
  12. Thompson, Fritz (10 September 2017). "Fern Sawyer First Woman to Serve on State Fair Board". Albuquerque Journal. p. 26. Retrieved 4 May 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Homer Pettigrew and Fern Sawyer in the Money at Fort Worth". Clovis News-Journal. 11 March 1946. Retrieved 4 May 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Fern Sawyer Winner of Cowgirl Laurels". Lubbock Evening Journal. 26 September 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. Placencio, Ed (1 August 1975). "Queen Contestants Will Compete". The Gallup Independent. Retrieved 4 May 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "Five Ranchers on State Fair Board". Albuquerque Journal. 10 September 1972. Retrieved 4 May 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. "Fern Sawyer Re-Elected Democratic Party Leader". Albuquerque Journal. 31 October 1971. Retrieved 4 May 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. "Governor Gives Views on Mrs. Sawyer's Defeat". Hobbs Daily News-Sun. 17 May 1976. Retrieved 4 May 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. Mahr, Ed (15 December 1974). "Fern Sawyer Will Lose Position on Fair Board". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved 4 May 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. Martinez, Tomas (4 April 2017). "2 Official Off Fair Commission". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved 4 May 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. LeCompte 2000, p. 206.
  22. "Rodeo Hall of Fame Inductees". National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  23. Cutting Horse Chatter 2005 Yearbook & Directory. National Cutting Horse Association. 2005.
  24. Riley, Pat (9 November 2001). "Five to Be Hall Inductees During Luncheon Today". Fort Worth Business Press. Retrieved 4 May 2017 – via EBSCOhost.
  25. "National Cowgirl Museum Award Goes to Bertram Rancher Colbert". Burnet Bulletin. 3 August 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2017 – via EBSCOhost.
  26. "Awards - Cowgirl Hall of Fame & Museum". Cowgirl Hall of Fame & Museum. Retrieved 2017-05-06.
  27. "Fern Sawyer Award". Cowgirl Hall of Fame & Museum. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  28. "Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame Inductees". Western Heritage Museum and Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  29. "Fern Sawyer". PBS. Retrieved 2017-05-04.
  30. "Ranch Women of New Mexico". Museum of New Mexico. 2011. Retrieved 2017-05-06.
  31. "Fern Marries Scharbauer Eidson Dec '48". Newspapers.com. Abilene Reporter-News. December 11, 1948. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
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