I attended the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo Championship in September. I was excited. I have wanted to attend for years but could never quite coordinate the trip to California or Texas. The championship falls usually on my young cowboy’s birthday weekend and we do other things. But this year with a little planning I was able to get there.
I drove to Upper Marlboro Maryland on a sunny Saturday afternoon . I had 4H that morning so I was unable to catch the first performance. I got checked in to my hotel in time to change and drive to the arena. On the 20 minute drive I was amazed at the beautiful horse farms I saw along the way. This particular area is known for equestrians.
As I approached the Show Arena I saw so many cars pulling into the free parking area. Yes Free Parking. Sometimes the little things mean a lot. I watched the spectators arriving. They were dressed in their western finery. I have not seen this many beautiful people in cowboy hats and boots in well ever. Oh I forgot to mention that they are 95% African-American.
The Bill Pickett Invitational rodeo is an African-American rodeo. The history of the Black Cowboy in America is deeply rooted. 25% of cowboys in the old west and south were of African descent.
“This year,we celebrate and honor 35 years of BPIR and our African American Cowboys and Cowgirls who have made significate contributions along the way They have traveled the country to educate and entertain audiences about the roles of the Black Cowboy and Cowgirl in the development of the West. They showcase their rodeo skills and passion for the sport. BPIR provides the platform for them to compete on a national level and make a difference. They provide truths of American history not taught or recognized.”- Valeria Howard-Cunningham , CEO of BPIR
Bill Pickett began his performance career in 1890s after being a ranch hand. He and his brother toured as the Pickett Brothers Bronco Busters and Rough Riders Show. I heard that he was known to have bitten the lip of a steer to get control. As father of steer wrestling or bulldogging, his contributions were recognized by the ProRodeo Hall Of Fame when he was inducted in 1989. Bill died from a head injury he sustained while trying to break a bronc in 1932.
The arena was sold out for the final performance of the season. This was the championship. The cowboys and cowgirls were grooming their horses and taking care of their riggins and bull ropes. While the fans were filling the seats the equine and bovine athletes were relaxing in their pens. There were no nerves there.
The rodeo is traditional with a couple of extra events- steer undecorating and relay. The undecorating is when cowgirls with the help of a hazer has to remove a ribbon off of a steer . And relay is exactly as you would think, passing a baton from rider to rider.
I enjoyed all of the events. The talent displayed during the championship round kept the fans on the edge of their seats.
Justin Richard and Mikala Nealy are the 2019 All Around Cowboy and Cowgirl. Justin is also the 2019 Bull Riding Champion.
Harold Miller is the Bareback Champion. This event has been called the hardest on the Cowboy’s body.
Derek Goff ended the season as the Calf Roping Champion. He earned only $200 over the reserve. It was a tight contested event.
Azja Bryant took home the Ladies Steer Undecorating Champion title. This event is exciting and super fast paced. I highly recommend seeing this live.
Drew Madden is the steer Wrestling champion. He placed 1st and 3rd and won the average in the championship to get the gold buckle.
Savannah Robert’s and Harrel Williams Jr. brought home junior barrel racing and breakaway titles respectively. Savannah also won ladies Barrel Racing gold buckle. These two are most certainly the future of rodeo.
Great performances by great athletes. However as a fan of all rodeo I am troubled by the financial disparity between events like Bill Pickett and small PRCA circuits like First Frontier and the purses at Cowtown rodeos in Texas and Days of 47 in Utah.
BPIR has some great sponsors like Toyota and Yeti. But financially these cowboys and cowgirls will never make the money that our top national rodeo athletes make.
The talent of the athletes may be there but the opportunities are limited. As a champion for the Northern rodeo I am always wondering what can be done to improve both financially and exposure.
I have watched rodeos all over the country. Watching performances that include champion caliber livestock,record setting payouts, and recognition leading to career changing sponsorship lead me to one question. How do we get these unknowns in the right places so their talents can be recognized?
Imagine a rodeo world where the part time steer wrestler goes up against the best arena athletes and that leads to an opportunity to compete in the big money events and that leads to earning his way to the National Finals Rodeo. What a different world rodeo could be.
As I am finally finishing this piece our country is in an unprecedented crisis and rodeos have been suspended for now. Upon resuming competitions all over I wish the best of luck to the athletes competing at the BPIR series.
Yes, We Rodeo Bog In the North!
cowgirl19114 