Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo:
"It's a rodeo, African American style!"
A innovative, educational and exciting perspective of the Black American West history
This season marks our 25th year of producing the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo and sometimes it's been a lot like Bull Ridin', we get tossed around and jostled, but we've stayed on top, and the ride has been worth it.
Most of the credit belongs to all the people that make the rodeo the great event it is; the cowboys and cowgirls, the sponsors and the terrific fans who come year after year to see the greatest riders in the world.
The “cowboy mystique” has had strong influence in all of our lives, beginning in childhood and continuing throughout adulthood. Rodeos exemplify this influence and are an important part of our western culture. The black cowboy has been an integral part of the history of the American West from the earliest rodeos to the present.
In fact, Texas was discovered and explored by a Black cowboy named Estavanico, and over 35% of the cattle trail drivers in Texas were Black. Entire Black communities existed on the frontier of the Old West - over one-half million families in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas alone.
The famous Lewis and Clark Expedition was led by a Black scout, and a Black cowboy named Bill Pickett created “bulldogging”, which has become one of the major rodeo events today.
Realizing the historical significance of the Black cowboy, Lu Vason developed the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo Series which is the first of its kind. In September, 1984, the first Bill Pickett Black Rodeo drew thousands of spectators and has grown into a series that is witnessed by over 70,000 annually.
The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo brings an important element of Black Western Heritage into our present day experience by entertaining audiences all across America.
