Jewel Duncan

First Woman Calf Roper in the Buck Jackson Arena, Barrel Racer, & West of the Pecos Rodeo Queen
1902-1984

Jewel Frost Duncan was born on May 11, 1902, in Kent County, Texas.  She and her family moved to a ranch outside of Kent, Texas when Jewel was little.  Jewel learned to ride and rope at an early age and could handle a lariat as well as most men.  She married Keezie Duncan in 1926 and they later had one daughter, Dolores.  

          Jewel entered her first rodeo at eighteen and in 1929 was the “First Woman Roper to compete in the West of the Pecos Rodeo”.  There were no female ropers at the time, making it necessary for her to compete against the men.  Traveling rodeos were one of the few ways for a woman roper to compete.  So, along with her friend and fellow 2004 TRHoF Inductee, Isora DeRacy Young, Jewel competed in rodeos from New York to California assuring a woman's place in rodeo.

          In 1935, Jewel was crowned Rodeo Queen of the West of the Pecos Rodeo.  It was quite an honor.  She was inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 1976.  Jewel was a cowgirl until the end looking after her cattle from a pickup truck instead of a horse and always felt a strong tie to women in rodeos.  Jewel Frost Duncan passed away in 1984 at the age of 82 and was posthumously inducted into the Texas Rodeo Hall of Fame.