Viola Thomas
Viola Thomas | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1939 (age 84–85) |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation(s) | horse rider and trainer |
Viola Thomas (born 1939) is a 3-time Canadian barrel racing champion and one of the first women to be licensed as a jockey in Canada. She was the first licensed woman jockey to ride in both Alberta and Saskatchewan, third woman to ride as a licensed jockey in Canada, and 17th woman jockey in North America. She was inducted into the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2014.
Early life
Viola Thomas was born in 1939 in Alberta, Canada.[1][2] She grew up in Millarville, near Calgary, on her parents' ranch.[3][4] Her father was a farrier and staff sergeant with Lord Strathcona's Horse Regiment. By the time she was four years old, Thomas was riding horses and from age ten was competing with male riders on the class B race circuit. As a teenager, she competed in trail rides as well as steer decorating, an event which requires the rider to dismount and adorn a steer horn with a ribbon.[2]
Career
Thomas continued to compete as an adult appearing in rodeo events in Canada, Arizona, California, and Texas. In 1958, she won the Canadian Barrel Racing Championship[3][5] and repeated the feat in 1959 and 1961.[6][5] In 1962, she suffered a broken collarbone and some ribs during an event in Millarville and as she could not ride, turned to breaking and training horses.[1][2] She also worked as an "exercise boy" conditioning horses to prepared them for other riders[1] and worked for a California sheriff's department breaking stallions.[2]
From 1964, Thomas began speaking out about the legal disparity for male and female riders.
When licensed in 1969, she became the first woman in Canada licensed as a jockey in Alberta and Saskatchewan and the second to be licensed in British Columbia, after Mary Cowan.[9][7] In North America, she was the 17th woman allowed to be licensed and in Canada was the third woman to receive a jockey's license. After obtaining her license, she often had to convince owners, trainers, or other riders to allow her to race.[10][11]
Returning to training horses in the late 1970s,[12] Thomas worked as a full-time trainer for a rancher in Millarville, winning several events through the early 1980s.[13][14][15] She continued training until 1987, when she received a skull fracture in a training accident.[16] Thomas was inducted into the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2014.[5]
References
Citations
- ^ a b c d Maeots 1964, p. 27.
- ^ a b c d e McMahon 1968, p. 22.
- ^ a b Miller 1959, p. 9.
- ^ Reynolds 1964, p. 13.
- ^ a b c Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame 2014.
- ^ McLean 1962, p. 47.
- ^ a b The Edmonton Journal 1969, p. 25.
- ^ The Times-Mirror and Observer 1968, p. 6.
- ^ Cook 1969, p. 12.
- ^ McMahon 1969, p. 39.
- ^ The Calgary Herald 1969, p. 12.
- ^ Fleming 1979, p. D4.
- ^ The Edmonton Journal 1980, pp. E4, G2.
- ^ The Edmonton Journal 1981, p. H4.
- ^ Dolik 1983, p. E2.
- ^ The Calgary Herald 1987, p. D2.
Bibliography
- Cook, Jack (21 August 1969). "A Struggle for Acceptance". Newspapers.com.
- Dolik, Helen (16 October 1983). "Trainer Has Longshot's Number". Newspapers.com.
- Fleming, Don (13 July 1979). "Female Jockey Back to Old Love". Newspapers.com.
- Maeots, Krista (12 May 1964). "'Men Only' Race Tradition Crumbles". Newspapers.com.
- McLean, Marilyn (2 June 1962). "First All-Girl Rodeo at High River". Newspapers.com.
- McMahon, Pat (6 August 1968). "City Rider Bound for Derby". Newspapers.com.
- McMahon, Pat (28 May 1969). "Viola Vindicates Her Right To Ride". Newspapers.com.
- Miller, Karen (10 October 1959). "Girls Travel Far for Barrel Races". Newspapers.com.
- Reynolds, Marilynn (17 June 1964). "Girl Tells Pony Tales". Newspapers.com.
- "5th Race". Newspapers.com.
- "10th Race". Newspapers.com.
- "Jane Clark Wins Powder Puff". The Times-Mirror and Observer. Warren, Pennsylvania. Newspapers.com.
- "Short Tales". Newspapers.com.
- "Stadnyk Was Misquoted". Newspapers.com.
- "Viola Thomas". Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame. Calgary, Alberta: Canadian Rodeo Historical Association. 2014. Archived from the original on 20 April 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- "Viola Thomas Making Bid for License at Northlands". Newspapers.com.