This Week in the West: Wanda Harper Bush, The 'Quietly Famous' Cowgirl

🤠This Week in the West
🎙️ Episode 61: Wanda Harper Bush

📢 Episode Summary:
This episode of This Week in The West remembers the extraordinary life and legacy of Wanda Harper Bush, one of the most accomplished cowgirls in rodeo history, on the tenth anniversary of her death. The story opens with a rare moment of national attention: Bush’s appearance on the television game show To Tell the Truth, where her quiet confidence and authenticity surprised celebrity panelists and delighted audiences. It was a fleeting brush with fame for a woman who never sought the spotlight, preferring instead to let her skill in the arena define her.

Born and raised on a ranch in Mason, Texas, Bush learned horsemanship from her father and developed a work ethic that would shape a historic career. As one of the earliest members of the Girls’ Rodeo Association, she helped define women’s professional rodeo, earning card number 14 and winning her first world championships at just 20 years old. Over nearly two decades, Bush amassed an astonishing 32 world titles across multiple events, including nine All-Around championships, while competing in an era when women’s rodeo fought for recognition and equal prize money.

Beyond competition, the podcast highlights Bush’s lasting influence as a teacher, mentor, and leader. Through her barrel racing clinics, board service with what became the WPRA, and advocacy for equal pay, she shaped opportunities for generations of cowgirls. Inducted into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Bush is remembered as “quietly famous”—a humble champion whose impact still echoes throughout the rodeo world.

🔍 What You’ll Learn:

• How Wanda Harper Bush helped build and legitimize women’s professional rodeo from its earliest days
• Why her competitive record—32 world championships across multiple events—remains unmatched
• How her mentorship, leadership, and advocacy changed opportunities for women in rodeo long after her final ride

👥 Behind the Scenes
Host: Seth Spillman
Producer: Chase Spivey
Writer: Mike Koehler

🔗 Further research:

• Wanda on “To Tell The Truth”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-72tI1jG0kc
• WPRA Feature on Wanda: https://wpra.com/wanda-harper-bush-a-true-leader/
• BarrelRacing.com feature on Wanda: https://barrelracing.com/athletes/industry-icons/wanda-harper-bushs-unmatched-rodeo-legacy/

📬 Connect With Us:
🌐 Website: www.thecowboy.org
📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/
📩 Email: podcast@thecowboy.org
📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/
📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum
❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm
💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum

🗺️ Visit Us: The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73111. See us on the map

🎟️: You can now buy tickets to The Cowboy online, go to https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/tickets/

💡 Support Us:🏅Become A Member of the Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/

🛒Shop at Persimmon Hill, our Museum store: https://persimmonhillstore.com/

🎧 Listen & Subscribe:
🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708
🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U
🔹YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN
🔹Podbean: https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/ 

⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to rate & review!