The Legend Of Ann Secrest Hanson

Ann picking up at the Miles City Bucking Horse Sale

 

"Actually, 'Cowgirl Hall of Fame' could be considered pretty tame for Ann. 'Top Hand Hall of Fame' might be more fitting. In these times when you hear comments like 'she can do it just like a man', Ann can do it BETTER than most men when it comes to cowboying.....I know, because she has picked me off a lot of bucking horses." - Wally Badgett

I am thrilled to be writing this story about a cowgirl's life in a cowboy's world. There are few women around, quite like Ann Secrest Hanson. Ann is the type of woman I could only hope I could be half as handy as. Ann is a lady of many talents: wife, mother, horsewoman, poet, musician, National Cowgirl Hall of Fame inductee, and one of the only women to pick up at PRCA Rodeos.

This past January I traveled to the Fort Worth Stock Show and was honored to tour the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame. I am not a museum lover, but I was enthralled with the Hall of Fame and it's rich history. The members of the Hall of Fame and their stories were fascinating to me. Pictures of the old cowgirls made me realize that they were just flat out tougher back then. The clothes they wore, the horses they rode - they were proud to be respected in their trade. Visiting the Hall of Fame inspired me to write this blog; To highlight and honor women that I respect and admire.  

 

I came across a picture of a lady picking up a bronc rider. The caption read 'Ann Secrest Hanson from Jordan, Montana picking up at the World Famous Miles City Bucking Horse Sale'. I was fascinated by this picture - a female pick up man! I thought to myself, 'you have to be some kind of hand to be a pick up lady!' I, oddly enough, had never heard of Ann. I immediately called my husband, who was raised his whole life in Jordan, MT. He scoffed and said "you've never heard of ANN SECREST?" I am apparently the only person in this area who didn't know about the handiest gal in Montana, (or anywhere in my opinion). When I got home from my trip I started trying to get in touch with Ann. I had to meet her. I had to find out who this gal was. Lo and behold I find out, she only lives a short distance from me. I called her, un sure if she would be willing to sit down with me for an interview. She gladly agreed and we met up for 4 plus hours, laughing and visiting. I learned so much in those 4 hours about rodeo and life in general. I knew immediately, I had never met a woman quite like Ann.

 

Anna May Fitzgerald, the second of eight children was born north of rural Jordan, Montana, and raised most of her life around the Fort Peck reservoir. She was brought up in the ranching lifestyle and developed a love for horses and western way of life. Team roping and barrel racing were some of her favorite events growing up. However, in a 1977 article published in WORLD OF RODEO, Ann said that barrel racing wasn't nearly as satisfying as snagging cowboys from the backs of snorting, bucking broncs. Upon graduating from high school, Ann attended Miles City Community College to study bookkeeping. Ann married in 1960 and has one son, Cotton. The Secrest family settled south of Jordan, MT at the small town of Cohagen, where they leased and eventually bought three different ranches and one farm. Walt Secrest was a pick up man that worked PRCA rodeos in Montana and surrounding areas, as well as the World Famous Miles City Bucking Horse Sale. The Secrest's also hosted rough stock schools at their ranch where they awarded buckles and college scholarships to the winners. Ann helped with the pick up duties during the rodeo schools they hosted. On a rainy weekend at the Bucking Horse Sale in 1962, the committee was short one pick up man. Walt volunteered Ann to pick up that weekend, which started her pick up career that lasted over 30 years. Ann would pick up at the Bucking Horse Sale for the next 25 years. Her expertise would not only serve at the Bucking Horse Sale, but also at PRCA Rodeos, Indian Rodeos, bronc matches (including the legendary Home On The Range match in Sentinel Butte, ND) amateur, college and youth rodeos, as well as rodeo schools. Over the years, Ann and Walt picked up for stock contractors including Sonny Linger, Reg Kesler, JJ Smith, Harry Knight, and many others.

 

Did Ann experience discrimination as a female pick up lady? Absolutely. The only barrier she couldn't break was obtaining her PRCA card. "I tried to get a card, but they wouldn't sell me one," Ann said. "When I picked up at PRCA rodeo's, the stock contractor would have to call in to the PRCA to get permission for me to work their rodeo. The PRCA never turned me down and I appreciated that, but I would have liked to have been a member. Today they would have to sell me one or not let me work PRCA rodeo's. It would be called discrimination." Ann also experienced discrimination when she first started picking up at the Bucking Horse Sale, where the first two years she worked for a lower rate of pay. Eventually it was negotiated and she was paid equally as the male pick up men from that time on.   

"The best way I found to get along was to always ride a good horse, do a good job and don't say anything."

Ann was always known for riding good horses. Most of her good pick up horses came out of the Jordan, MT rancher and legendary Las Vegas gambling icon, Benny Binion's string of

Quarter Horses. "Benny was a good friend of ours. He was always real good to me," Ann explained. "Back then, it was nothing for them to have 500 head of horses come through that Bucking Horse Sale," Ann said. "So for two months before the sale, I would condition 20 head of horses for Walt and I to pick up on."  I asked Ann what one piece of advice she could give to pick up men these days and she replied, "ALWAYS have control of your horse!"

"I had a desire to pick up and I worked hard at it. I was tougher than hell back then."

 Besides picking up, team roping and barrel racing, Ann always wanted to learn how to bull dog. "I wanted to learn to bull dog in the worst way, but I was always two strides late getting down! The kids that hung around at our ranch for those rodeo schools, they always got a kick out of watching me try to bull dog. They were always trying to get me bucked off," Ann laughed. Although she watched many good bronc rides over the years, she never did want to try bronc riding for herself. "Oh hell no," she laughed when I asked her if she ever rode broncs. "I couldn't even ride a saddle horse when they bucked, let alone a bucking horse."

 

Wrecks? Yes, she's had a few. "In Towner, ND, a bucking horse ran under my pick up horse's neck and tipped us over," Ann recalled. "At the Crow Fair one year, a bucking horse came back out of the stripping chute and hit my horse broad side knocking him down and knocking me out for a little while. And one year at the Bucking Horse Sale, I had just picked up Larry Kane when my saddle turned and my pick up horse bucked us both off." Note: Star Photographer Mark Kron got a series of the photos in spite of Ann's begging him not to, the photos were published in the Monday morning paper! 

In the 1980's Walt and Ann would later divorce. In 2001, Ann married Robert Hanson and moved to the Logging Camp Ranch on the Little Missouri River in the Badlands of North Dakota. In 2003, Ann was inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame. "I'm sure picking up was the biggest reason why they selected me. I've always lived the cowboy life - lots of women have - but the pick up work is unique for a woman," Ann said. Ann had a surprise at the Hall of Fame induction. Multiple time World Champion saddle bronc rider, Dan Mortenson was on hand for her induction and gave a speech about Ann picking him up off his first PRCA rodeo bronc. Dan presented Ann and Robert with front row tickets to the NFR that year where they got to watch Dan not only win his 6th world title, but also tie Casey Tibbs for the most world titles in saddle bronc riding.

"Ann has the ability to do a man's job on horseback in the arena, yet can and does dress and act the feminine lady she is at the party at night." - Cy Taillion 

Ann does not disclose her age. When asked she replies as "I'm retired!" Nowadays, she enjoys watching barrel racing and studying bloodlines of barrel horses. She and her husband Robert have two stallions, a son of Sun Frost and a son of Fire Water Flit, that they run with their 20 head of ranch mares. She is an accomplished cowboy poet and enjoys writing western themed poetry in her spare time. 

"I've lived an interesting life and have a lot of aches and pains because of it. I think back on the many things I've done that others would have loved to do but didn't have a chance. There are women who are as good of hands, but they weren't able to exercise their potential. I thank God for all of my successes and overlooking my failures." 

In closing, I asked Ann if she had any advice for the readers:

"Always do your own thing, but not to the detriment of your family. Be yourself. Never let anyone make you be the under dog so they can glorify themselves. If you have a desire, work for it."

Grandma Ann, son Cotton and baby Jimmie Lee

"One of the craziest things I ever saw happen at one of the earlier Bucking Horse Sales was when Walt Secrest jumped from his horse onto a bucking mule. He rode him around the arena a little while and finally Ann came over to pick him up. Walt jumped onto the back of Ann's horse and sat back there, crouched on his knees. Then he began kissing and smooching Ann and the crowd loved it. Ann got mad and gave Walt an elbow in the ribs that knocked him off the horse and flattened him in the ground." - Owen Badgett

"I had the opportunity to see Ann in action in the arena picking up broncs and saving cowboys at the famous Miles City Bucking Horse Sale for a number of years and other top rodeos in Montana. She earned herself the respect and reputation as one of the best in the business, and she can ride and rope as good as any cowboy that I have ever known." - Jay Harwood

"It wasn't until I left the ranch to rodeo on my own that I came to realize just what a "hand" my mother is. It was always a comfort to know that one of the best pick up men in the business was in the arena at my home. This accomplishment was often overlooked because she was just "Mom". She always had a home cooked meal or a bed for anyone who came home with me from a rodeo. The names of these young men, many of whom have gone on to rodeo professionally are too numerous to mention. Yet she will always be "mother Secrest" to all of them." - Cotton Secrest 

Article written by Bailee Murnion - author of Wicked Women of the West