Tonight, I would like to adjourn this meeting in memory of a remarkable woman—Sammy Thurman-Brackenbury.
Born on a ranch in Wickieup, Arizona, in 1933, Sammy followed in her father’s footsteps, falling in love with horses and rodeos.
A dedicated cowgirl, she would catch mustangs, train them to be ridden and sell them to the locals at the young age of seven.
Settling down on a ranch in Victorville, California, Sammy was already adept at competitive match racing by her teen years, and eventually participating in calf and team roping.
At the time, women were not allowed to compete within the Rodeo Cowboys Association–known as the RCA–severely limiting her opportunities.
Years later, with the help of a family friend working closely with the RCA, they were able to open the doors for women everywhere to participate in rodeo competitions.
From there, her career skyrocketed.
She qualified for 11 consecutive National Finals Rodeos, finished inside the top five of the Girl’s Rodeo Association World standing and won the famed Salinas rodeo on multiple occasions.
Sammy’s career shifted when she was asked to be a stunt woman, appearing in her first film, “Horse of the West.”
She continued her stunt work, lending her horse-riding abilities to many Western films.
She was a member of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum’s Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2012, and ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2019, amongst many other awards for her accomplishments within professional rodeoing.
Just this past November, Sammy was inducted into the Western Walk of Stars right here in Santa Clarita, commemorating her work in the film industry.
Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends during this difficult time.