Isabella Miller (barrel racer)
Isabella Miller | |
|---|---|
 Miller in 1969 | |
| Born | Pearl Isabella Hamilton 28 January 1941 |
| Died | 26 January 2007 (aged 65) |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Other names | Isabella Hamilton Miller, Isabella Miller Haraga |
| Occupation(s) | rancher, horse trainer, rodeo performer |
| Years active | 1957–2007 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
Isabella Miller (28 January 1941 – 26 January 2007) was a Canadian rodeo cowgirl, rancher and horse trainer. She was the Canadian barrel racing Champion in 1960 and 1969 and was a 5-time winner of the Canadian All-Around women's title. She was inducted into the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2005.
Early life[edit]
Pearl Isabella Hamilton was born on 28 January 1941 in Alberta, Canada to Ruth (née Johnson) and William James Hamilton.[1][2] She grew up in DeWinton, Alberta, where her parents operated a ranch.[2] Her father had been a bull riding champion in the 1920s and was a chuckwagon driver. Her grandparents manufactured Red River carts in Calgary.[3] Hamilton began learning to ride when she was 2 years old.[4]
Hamilton was one of the founders of the Canadian Girls' Barrel Racing Association, which formed in 1957 and was elected as the organization's president for 1959.[1][5] The goal of the association was to promote women's participation in rodeo and to be allowed to compete in the Calgary Stampede and other regular rodeo events.[6][7] From 1958, they won the right to participate in the Stampede.[8][9]
Competitive career[edit]
In 1960, Hamilton won the Canadian Barrel Racing Championship, having owned, trained, and ridden her own horse.[10][11] Around 1962, she married and began competing as Isabella Miller.[12] She won the women's All-Around title five times — in 1963, 1966, 1967, 1968, and 1969.[13][14] In 1963, she was also named as Calgary's Athlete of the Year by the Calgary Sports Women's Association.[4] Despite a vehicle accident in which her horse died during the 1969 season, Miller repeated that year as Canadian barrel racing champion.[3][14][11]
Miller raised three children, Tyler, Bobbie June, and Billie Ruth Miller, as a single mother and to make ends meet, drove a school bus for 15 years.[1] As she made little money from barrel racing, she also raised horses, trained them, and worked as a stunt rider in films. She continued to compete in barrel racing events into her 60s and was often ranked among Canada's the top ten women in the sport.[9][15][16] In the early 1980s, she became president of the barrel racing association for a second term, serving from 1981 to 1986.[6][17] In 2002, she married Arnold Haraga, a former Canadian All-Around champion and steer wrestler and sculptor.[8][18] After their marriage, the couple wintered at their ranch in Arizona.[9] She was inducted into the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2005.[9][11]
Death and legacy[edit]
In 2007, Haraga was injured in a fall from her horse on her ranch in Maricopa, Arizona. The fall caused an aneurysm[8] and Haraga died two days later on 26 January 2007.[1][9] Her children and grandchildren have continued the tradition of competing in rodeo events.[19]
References[edit]
Citations[edit]
- ^ a b c d The Calgary Herald 2007, p. 20.
- ^ a b Western Wheel 2018.
- ^ a b French 1969, p. 41.
- ^ a b Hehr 1964, p. 26.
- ^ Primrose 1958, p. 46.
- ^ a b Priegert 1982, p. G1.
- ^ Kossowan 1998, p. A2.
- ^ a b c Cowboy Country Television 2008.
- ^ a b c d e Erickson 2007, p. E8.
- ^ The Calgary Herald 1960, p. 24.
- ^ a b c Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame 2005.
- ^ McLean 1962, p. 47.
- ^ The Province 1969, p. 45.
- ^ a b The Red Deer Advocate 1969, p. 7.
- ^ Kossowan 1998, pp. A1–A2.
- ^ Summerfield 2000, p. SE2.
- ^ Rule Book 2017, p. 3.
- ^ Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame 2013.
- ^ Kossowan 1998, p. A1.
Bibliography[edit]
- Erickson, Dwayne (31 January 2007). "Rodeo World Loses Champion Barrel Racer". The Calgary Herald. Calgary, Alberta. p. E8. Retrieved 14 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- French, Terry (2 October 1969). "Horse Shoe Fanfare—and Sadness". The Province. Vancouver, British Columbia. p. 41. Retrieved 14 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- Hehr, Marilynn (5 May 1964). "Gail Ross Named Athlete of 1963". The Calgary Herald. Calgary, Alberta. p. 26. Retrieved 14 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- Kossowan, Brenda (31 August 1998). "Even Cowgirls Get Their Dues". Red Deer Advocate. Red Deer, Alberta. pp. A1, A2. Retrieved 14 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- McLean, Marilyn (2 June 1962). "First All-Girl Rodeo at High River". The Calgary Herald. Calgary, Alberta. p. 47. Retrieved 14 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- Priegert, Portia (10 July 1982). "Cowgirls Made History". The Calgary Herald. Calgary, Alberta. p. G1. Retrieved 14 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- Primrose, Tommy (29 November 1958). "Agricultural Alberta". The Calgary Herald. Calgary, Alberta. p. 46. Retrieved 14 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- Summerfield, Robin (6 July 2000). "Glory Days: Isabella Hamilton Miller, 1958 Stampede Princess". The Calgary Herald. Calgary, Alberta. p. SE2. Retrieved 14 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Arnold Haraga". Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame. Calgary, Alberta: Canadian Rodeo Historical Association. 2013. Archived from the original on 20 April 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- "C.G.R.A. Past Presidents" (PDF). Canadian Girls Rodeo Association. Calgary, Alberta. 2017. p. 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
- "Girls' Champs Named". Red Deer Advocate. Red Deer, Alberta. 1 November 1969. p. 7. Retrieved 14 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Haraga — Pearl Isabella (nee Hamilton)". The Calgary Herald. Calgary, Alberta. 4 February 2007. p. 20. Retrieved 13 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Isabelle Miller Haraga". Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame. Calgary, Alberta: Canadian Rodeo Historical Association. 2005. Archived from the original on 19 April 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- "Mrs. Isabel Miller of Calgary". The Province. Vancouver, British Columbia. 27 September 1969. p. 45. Retrieved 14 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Ruth (Johnson) Hamilton (1919–2018)". Legacy.com. Okotoks, Alberta: Western Wheel. 4 October 2018. Archived from the original on 13 May 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
- "Saddle Awarded by Association". The Calgary Herald. Calgary, Alberta. 29 October 1960. p. 24. Retrieved 14 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Season 4, Episode 11: Trailblazers, Isabella Miller-Haranga". Cowboy Country Television. Edmonton, Alberta. 2008. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2020.