Isabella Miller (barrel racer)
Isabella Miller | |
|---|---|
 Miller in 1969 | |
| Born | Pearl Isabella Hamilton 28 January 1941 |
| Died | 26 January 2007 (aged 65) |
| Other names | Isabella Hamilton Miller, Isabella Miller Haraga |
| Occupation(s) | Rodeo contestant, rancher, horse trainer |
| Years active | 1957–2007 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
Isabella Miller (28 January 1941 – 26 January 2007) was a Canadian rodeo cowgirl,[1] rancher and horse trainer. She was the Canadian barrel racing champion in 1960 and 1969 and was a five-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.[2][3] She grew up in DeWinton, Alberta, where her parents operated a ranch.[3] Her father had been a bull riding champion in the 1920s and was a chuckwagon driver. Her grandparents manufactured Red River carts in Calgary.[4] Hamilton began learning to ride when she was two years old.[5]
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.[2][6] 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.[7][8] From 1958, they won the right to participate in the Stampede.[9][10]
Competitive career
[edit]In 1960, Hamilton won the Canadian barrel racing championship, having owned, trained, and ridden her own horse.[11][12] Around 1962, she married and began competing as Isabella Miller.[13] She won the women's All-Around title five times — in 1963, 1966, 1967, 1968, and 1969.[14][15] In 1963, she was also named as Calgary's Athlete of the Year by the Calgary Sports Women's Association.[5] Despite a vehicle accident in which her horse died during the 1969 season, Miller repeated that year as Canadian barrel racing champion.[4][15][12]
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.[2] 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 top ten women in the sport.[10][16][17] In the early 1980s, she became president of the barrel racing association for a second term, serving from 1981 to 1986.[7][18] In 2002, she married Arnold Haraga, a former Canadian all-around champion and steer wrestler and sculptor.[9][19] After their marriage, the couple wintered at their ranch in Arizona.[10] She was inducted into the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2005.[10][12]
Death and legacy
[edit]On 24 January 2007, Haraga was injured in a fall from her horse on her ranch in Maricopa, Arizona. The fall caused an aneurysm[9] and Haraga died two days later on 26 January 2007.[2][10] Her children and grandchildren have continued the tradition of competing in rodeo events.[20]
References
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^ "Shepherd Hills Tested". D&H Cattle. www.dhcattle.com. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
- ^ 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.