Paula Bridwell Biography

My Grandmother, Paula Bridwell grew up with two loves, music and horses. In Hobbs, New Mexico, She grew up singing and riding horses, which has shaped with her life throughout the years. The local rodeo in Hobbs, New Mexico in 1964 was quite a sight. The whole community it seemed would come out to see the competitions. Paula was among those competitors and she was also a performer. She not only competed in the barrel racing event, but also in the pole bending. She rode a big, grey horse that was as fast as lightning, she said. At the intermission that happened half way through the rodeo. She and other girls would run synchronized drills with their horses. “It was like square dancing, but with horses and going full speed,” she said. She went to many local rodeos near her hometown, where she competed. She also enjoyed going to playdates, where they would play various games on horseback. She once even competed to be rodeo queen. They had to do interviews, wear riding gloves all the time, and attend a fancy dinner, she said. Though she did not win, she thought it was a very interesting experience.

Paula also enjoyed singing from the time she was a little girl. She said, her first solo was in junior high for a Christmas performance. Her teacher had her wear pigtails and sing the song “All I Want for Christmas”. She sang in many musical

The preacher who came to preach at this service, heard her singing out of everyone there. He asked her mother if he could come by the house later and of course she agreed. He sat Paula down to tell her that she was a lovely singer and knew of a world renowned opera teacher who was holding auditions in Washington, D.C. The preacher told her that she could ride with them up there to audition, then fly back home. She was unsure of driving all the way there with people she had never met. Though, she became quick friends with the preacher’s daughter, she