English: Fannie learned to ride as a child and began entering women's bucking horse competitions by the time she reached the age of 20 in 1907. In 1912 she earned the title 'Lady Bucking Horse Champion of the World' after riding the notorious horse named Red Wing. She even earned the title again one year later! Most women riders rode "hobbled", meaning their stirrups were tied together under the horse for added rider stability. Fannie, however, rode "slick", meaning she rode broncos just as her male counterparts rode. She was widowed in 1940 and continued to manage Helmville Ranch by herself for another 25 years. She also became Montana's first woman to become a licensed packer, using her horses to guide hunters on excursions into the mountains. Image courtesy of Montana Historical Society, Fannie Sperry Steele riding Dismal Dick at the Windham, Montana Round-Up, August 20-21, 1920.

• Keywords: woman; bronco; cattle; bucking horse; champion; montana; riding; horseback; broncos