Polly Burson

Trick rider and stunt woman Polly Burson was born Pauline Shelton on December 24 1919 in Ontario Oregon Born into a rodeo family Polly spent her early years on her grandfathers ranch and started riding at the age of seven Following an outstanding career on the rodeo circuit Polly moved to California to break into the film business Although it took Burson three years to break into said business her career as a stunt woman was off and running from the mid1940s and onward Among the notable actresses that Polly doubled for throughout her five decade career as a stunt woman are Betty Hutton Julie Adams Sophia Loren Shelley Winters Yvonne De Carlo Barbara Stanwyck Dorothy Malone Betty Grable Lucille Ball and Kim Darby Burson was the recipient of a Golden Boot Award for her substantial and impressive contributions to the Western genre in 1991 said award was present to her by longtime friend and fellow stuntman Henry Wills In addition Polly was also inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame the Hollywood Stuntmens Hall of Fame and the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth Texas in November 2002 Burson was married and divorced three times She died at age 86 on April 4 2006 in Ventura California