Sawyer was born nearYeso, New Mexico.[7] Sawyer grew up on aranch where her father insisted she "perform as well as the men if she was to help with the ranch work," according to theNational Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.[8] Sawyer began to enterrodeo competitions while she was in high school.[7] She attendedTexas Tech for about 3 years, studyinghome economics.[7] At Texas Tech, she was going to be kicked out for attending a rodeo.[9]
She was sponsored byMadison Square Garden in a rodeo event in 1939.[10] In 1943, she defeated twenty men in thePecos rodeo.[11] Sawyer was also the first woman to win 1st place in the cutting horse competition at the1945 Fort Worth Fat Stock Show and Rodeo.[8][12] In the 1945 show, she was the only woman competing.[6] In 1946, she came in second in cutting at the Fort Worth Stock Show.[13] In 1947, she earned the title of All-Around world Champion Cowgirl.[7][14] Sawyer stopped competing in rodeo in 1949.[12] She worked as a judge for rodeo and otherequestrian contests afterwards.[1][15]
In 1976, she was inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame.[8][6] In 1991, she was inducted into the NationalRodeo Hall of Fame at theNational Cowboy Hall of Fame.[21][22] In 1985, she was inducted into theNCHA Members Hall of Fame for her extraordinary contributions to the sport of cutting.[23] An award is given by the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Sawyer's name to recognize cowgirls and ranch women who excel in their field,[24] and who help advance the mission and recognition of the museum and hall of fame.[25][26] The Fern Sawyer Award from the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame was named after her. The inaugural presentation of the award was in 1994 to Anne W. Marion.[27] In 1995, she was inducted into theWestern Heritage Museum & Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame.[28] Sawyer died in 1993 of aheart attack while riding a horse.[29][30]
Sawyer married Scharbauer Eidson of New Mexico in December 1948. They lived in Crossroads, New Mexico, at the time. Their ranch, the Sawyer Ranch, is located in the middle of a big oil field which has paid off.[31] Later, the Eidsons lived on the Shoe Bar Ranch inLovington, New Mexico. In her latter days, Sawyer took on gentler pursuits such as judging and horse cutting.[1]
