The gate flew open and Savannah Roberts took off. Perched on her horse, Short Shank, Savannah could hear the roar of the crowd. The 12-year-old and her horse raced at top speed, whipping around barrels.

No other rider could match her speed. Savannah, the youngest person in the competition, won the barrel racing event at the Bill Pickett Championship Rodeo last September. The rodeo celebrates and honors African American cowboys and cowgirls.

“Winning at this rodeo made me feel

During his childhood, Maurice Wade watched old Wester films with his family every weekend. He loved watching the good guys win. Despite only seeing white cowboys portrayed on the screen, he was determined to become one when he grew up, just like his heroes. 

Bill Pickett, legendary cowboy Taylor, Texas, descendant of Africans and Cherokee Indians, was born in 1870, five years after the end of the Civil War. Pickett invented the technique of “Bulldogging”, which earned him the nickname: “The Bull -Dogger. ”

It was in 2012, quite by chance, that the photographer discovered African American cowboys and cowgirls and the Bill Pickett Rodeo in Atlanta.

Bill Pickett, legendary cowboy Taylor, Texas, descendant of Africans and Cherokee Indians, was born in 1870, five years after the end of the Civil War. Pickett invented the technique of “Bulldogging”, which earned him the nickname: “The Bull -Dogger. ”

I started getting interested in cowboys after my neighbor in Oakland invited me to join her at the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo in 2007 — my first ever. I was raised in cities (San Salvador and Miami) and had never experienced much of country life. Being out on a ranch and around horses was a new experience. Witnessing the connection the cowboys had with the horses and the glamour of riding was quite captivating. I was immediately hooked by the example of Americana and black history.

Every year, the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo travels the country, celebrating the legacy of the black cowboy. We brought some of the coolest Western-inspired fashion to the tour's Oakland stop and met the cowboys and cowgirls carrying on the tradition.

Lil Nas X’s hit single “Old Town Road” introduced millennials to country music and R&B singer K Michelle considers herself a trailblazer in the genre as she is currently working on a country album. However, truth be told, African Americans have had ties to country music and the lifestyle therein much longer than many realize.

LOS ANGELES – Sitting on top of an enormous bucking bull, Ky-Manee Hardy says he has "all of the power in the world." The only thing preventing him from soaring through the air is his right-handed grip on a bull rope and his knees straddling the animal's torso.

I started getting interested in cowboys after my neighbor in Oakland invited me to join her at the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo in 2007 — my first ever. I was raised in cities (San Salvador and Miami) and had never experienced much of country life. Being out on a ranch and around horses was a new experience. Witnessing the connection the cowboys had with the horses and the glamour of riding was quite captivating. I was immediately hooked by the example of Americana and black history.

Long before #OscarsSoWhite became a thing, Barbara Love knew something was off. Like a lot of people, she grew up watching Westerns on TV and at the theatres. It was who she didn’t see that caught her attention.

The Richmond community was well represented at this year’s famous Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo, which galloped into the Rowell Ranch Rodeo Grounds in Castro Valley over the weekend.

For over 35 years, the BPIR has toured throughout the U.S.A. entertaining millions with thrilling professional rodeo competitions of the most skilled and entertaining Black cowboys and cowgirls worldwide.