Entertainment · Books & Arts · 2 hrs ago
Bill Pickett rodeo gives Black cowboys a platform and preserves their heritage
The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo gives Black cowboys and cowgirls a place to compete and share their culture.
Its 2026 tour travelled across the United States, including a stop in Conyers, near Atlanta, Georgia.
The rodeo is named for Bill Pickett, a celebrated Black cowboy born in Texas in 1870 who helped popularise bulldogging, a forerunner of steer wrestling.
After the Civil War, many Black Americans worked on ranches and cattle drives, and historians estimate that about one in four cowboys was Black by the late 19th century.
Promoter Lu Vason created the rodeo in 1984 after noticing how few Black cowboys were represented at a major event.
The rodeo aims to make this history more visible and pass its culture on to new generations.
At the Atlanta event, members of the Outlaws Most Wanted, a bronc-riding team of Caribbean men, described the group as a brotherhood formed through their love of horses.
The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo gives Black cowboys and cowgirls a platform and helps preserve Black cowboy heritage.
Promoter Lu Vason created the rodeo in 1984 after noticing the absence of Black cowboys at a rodeo in 1977.
The 2026 tour runs from February to October, with stops including Memphis, Atlanta, Oakland and Los Angeles.
At the Atlanta event, the Outlaws Most Wanted team of bronc riders supported one another backstage before competing.
Rachied Robins, known as Django, said the group’s shared love of horses had brought them together.
- Who
- The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo, its competitors and organisers, including promoter Lu Vason.
- What
- A rodeo that gives Black cowboys and cowgirls a platform and brings visibility to their heritage.
- When
- The 2026 tour runs from February to October. The Atlanta event was held on 1 and 2 August 2026.
- Where
- Across the US, including a stop in Conyers, near Atlanta, Georgia.
- Why
- Vason created the rodeo to give Black cowboys and cowgirls a platform and bring greater visibility to their heritage.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
We’re in a brotherhood now.
refuge in this horse world
Lu Vason attended Cheyenne Frontier Days and was struck by the absence of Black cowboys in the arena.
Vason created the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo.
The rodeo tour crossed the US, with stops including Memphis, Atlanta, Oakland and Los Angeles.
A family on horseback waited to enter the arena at the rodeo.
The rodeo took place in Conyers, near Atlanta, Georgia.
- Rodeo founded
- 1984
- Promoter
- Lu Vason
- Namesake
- Bill Pickett, born in Texas in 1870
- 2026 tour
- February to October
- Atlanta location
- Conyers, Georgia
- Outlaws Most Wanted member
- Rachied Robins, also known as Django
Sources
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