Daughters Of Daring – Chris Enss (1)

But, under Bonnie’s expert care, the horse’s health was restored.15 Not long after she transported King Tut to her stable in Southern California, she discovered that he enjoyed jumping—he had escaped from his enclosure by leaping over it. It was apparent to Bonnie that the horse would be perfect to train for stunts. King was a fast learner and responded easily to her instructions. It was suggested by Bonnie’s close friends, who had witnessed King Tut’s talent, that she train the animal to jump a car.

The idea intrigued her, and the pair went to work. It would become their most famous stunt. “When I once win the confidence of a horse it will do almost anything I want it to,” she shared with a reporter in 1928. “The rider must remember that a horse is just as sensitive as a human being and should be treated accordingly.”16 In between rodeos, Bonnie would return to California where, in time, she and her husband purchased property in the Burbank area.

The sprawling acreage that included their house and horse stalls was known as Bonnie Gray Ranch. The Los Angeles County neighborhood was delighted that the accomplished cowgirl chose to call the area home.17 An article appeared in the January 22, 1924, edition of the Burbank Pathfinder regarding Bonnie’s decision to spend her off time there and noting that she was well-known and respected.

This is the third winter which the famous rider has spent in Burbank, and she likes it very much. We’re happy she’s here and although we could boast of her varied achievements, we thought we’d ask her which ones most pleased her.18 Bonnie Jean Gray is the extremely proud possessor of two valuable cups. One presented her by Spencer Penrose, prominent citizen and millionaire of Colorado, and national politician, at the time of the rodeo at Colorado Springs last fall.

It is made of copper and brass and was made in the 13th century. It bears the coat of arms of the Hapsburgs and was taken to Paris in the loot of the Napoleon army about in 1809 and bought by Mr. Penrose, in Paris in 1909. It is said it was won and lost thirty times on the Versailles racetrack.

“Chris Enss has done it again. For years and with many, many books, she has brought us wonderful stories and insights about the women of the West. These heroines of calico helped shape, define, and build the frontier. Now we step into the early days of filmdom with strong, independent women who helped create the magic of the movies.

The weaker sex? Not in a heartbeat. These women mastered feats far beyond those of mortal men. An exciting book about women with an iron will, determination, and skill, Daughters of Daring belongs in every western lover’s library.” —Peter Sherayko, actor, producer, author “Chris Enss shines a much-needed spotlight on the unsung heroines of cinema history: the early stunt women. These daring ladies of the silver screen risked their lives without any publicity— until now.

Enss carefully explains how they accomplished their stunts long before the use of wires or computer effects. Daughters of Daring is lovingly dedicated to these ladies.” —Michael F. Blake, Emmy Award–winning makeup artist and film historian “Once again, Enss has unearthed hidden cinema secrets. In Daughters of Daring, she tells the remarkable story of women who, from the dawn of movies, risked their lives—mostly in secret. Finally, their names are shared and their incredible achievements are told. No one does it better.” —Rob Word, producer and host, A Word on Westerns “Writing books about show business is truly difficult.

The research is enormous, and you have to find a topic that hasn’t been done to death. What Enss has accomplished with Daughters of Daring is remarkable: She has honored the great (many of them unjustly unknown) stunt women of the first movies ever made. Tracing their histories from Wild West Shows to the earliest silent films and beyond, Enss shines a much-deserved light on the great careers of expert sharpshooter May Lillie and serial queen Ruth Roland and even includes the tragic end of actress Mary Wiggins, among many others.

“These were the ladies who could ride, shoot, and rodeo without fear, and they have been unfairly ignored for more than a hundred years—until now. “The daughters of daring were entertaining audiences when show business traveled in tents from town to town and then found themselves in the new medium of the movies. Enss’s amazingly researched and highly readable record of their lives brings them the attention and applause they’ve so richly deserved for so long.”

—C. Courtney Joyner, award-winning author and screenwriter OceanofPDF.com DAUGHTERS OF DARING HOLLYWOOD COWGIRL STUNT WOMEN CHRIS ENSS Essex, Connecticut OceanofPDF.com An imprint of The Globe Pequot Publishing Group, Inc. 64 South Main St. Essex, CT 06426 www.GlobePequot.com Copyright © 2026 by Chris Enss All rights reserved.

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

Book Information

• Unique ID: 025cc91f94c14c2a
• File Extension: .pdf
• File Size: 33,697,048 bytes (32.136 MB)
• Title: –
• Author: Unknown
• ISBN: 9781493087860, 9781493087877
• Pages: 278
• Language: English (en)

Reading & Word Statistics

• Estimated Reading Time: 383.66 minutes
• Total Words: 76,732
• Total Characters: 455,581
• Average Words per Page: 276.01
• Average Characters per Page: 1638.78

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