Bill Pickett

Bill Pickett

Willie M. "Bill" Pickett (December 5, 1870 - April 2, 1932) was a cowboy and rodeo performer. Native American.

Early years

Pickett attended school through the fifth grade, after which he took up hard ranching work. He invented the technique of bulldogging, the skill of grabbing cattle by the horns and wrestling them to the ground. Pickett's method for bulldogging was biting a cow on the lip and then falling backwards. This method eventually lost popularity as the sport morphed into the steer wrestling that is practiced in rodeos today.

Marriage

In 1890 Pickett married Maggie Turner, a former slave and daughter to a white southern plantation owner. The couple had nine children. Pickett and his brothers started their own company, the Pickett Brothers Bronco Busters and Rough Riders Association, to offer their services as cowboys. Pickett also made a living demonstrating his bulldogging skills and other stunts at county fairs. In 1905, Pickett joined the 101 Ranch Wild West Show that featured the likes of Buffalo Bill, Will Rogers, Tom Mix, Bee Ho Gray, and Zach and Lucille Mulhall. Pickett was a popular performer who toured around the world and appeared in early motion pictures. Pickett was shown in a movie created by Richard E. Norman. Pickett's ethnicity resulted in him not being able to appear at many rodeos. He often was forced to claim that he was of Comanche heritage in order to perform.

Death

Pickett continued to work his entire life. He also served as deacon of Taylor Baptist Church. In 1932, he was kicked in the head by a horse while working horses at the 101 Ranch and died of his injuries a few days later, at the age of 61. Will Rogers announced his funeral on the radio.

Legacy

Pickett was named to the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in 1971 and was the first black honoree to that organization. He was enshrined in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1989. honored Pickett as one of twenty "Legends of the West" pictured in a series of stamps. Unfortunately, the stamps used a picture which many reference works identified as Bill Pickett but was in fact his brother Ben. The Postal Service recalled the series to correct the error.

Another controversy that still rages is a claim that steer wrestling was independently developed in Canada by the Canadian black cowboy John Ware and possibly predates Pickett. An 1892 Calgary gymkhana lists a demonstration of steer wrestling by John Ware on its program. On the other hand it is claimed that Bill Pickett was steer wrestling as early as 1881.

References

* Powell, Lee (Dec. 3-9, 2004). Bill Pickett: an unlikely rodeo pioneer. "The Sports Page", p. 3.
* Carnes, Mark C., Betz, Paul R., ed. "American National Biography". "Oxford University Press".

Further reading

*cite book |last=Hanes |first=Bailey C. |title= Bill Pickett, Bulldogger: The Biography of a Black Cowboy |year=1977 |publisher= University of Oklahoma Press |location=Norman, OK |isbn=080611391X |oclc=02632780

*cite book |last=Johnson |first=Cecil |title= Guts: Legendary Black Rodeo Cowboy Bill Pickett |year=1994 |publisher= Summit Group |location=Fort Worth, TX |isbn=1565301625 |oclc=31374075


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Pickett — is a surname, and may refer to* Albert J. Pickett * Bill Pickett * Blake Pickett * Bobby Boris Pickett * Byron Pickett * Cindy Pickett * Cody Pickett * Danny Pickett * George Pickett, of Pickett s Charge * Lucy Weston Pickett * Philip Pickett *… …   Wikipedia

  • Bill Torrey — William A. Torrey (born June 23, 1934 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) was a General Manager and executive in the National Hockey League, most famous for building up the expansion New York Islanders into a dynasty that won four consecutive Stanley… …   Wikipedia

  • Pickett, Bill — ▪ American cowboy born Dec. 5, 1870?, Williamson County, Texas, U.S. died April 21, 1932, Tulsa, Okla.,       American rodeo cowboy who introduced bulldogging (steer wrestling), a modern rodeo event that involves wrestling a running steer to the… …   Universalium

  • Bill White (politician) — William H. White Then Houston Mayor Bill White announcing his candidacy for Governor of Texas on December 4, 2009. 60th Mayor of Houston In office January 2, 2004 – January 2, 2010 …   Wikipedia

  • Bill Oddie — Infobox Person name = Bill Oddie caption = A display featuring a Bill Oddie cut out image size = other names = William Edgar Oddie birth date = Birth date and age|1941|07|7|df=yes birth place = Rochdale, Lancashire, England known for = The… …   Wikipedia

  • Pickett,Bill — Pick·ett (pĭkʹĭt), Bill. 1871 1932. American rodeo star and actor who gained fame as a member of an internationally popular traveling rodeo show. In 1971 he became the first African American cowboy inducted into the Cowboy Hall of Fame. * * * …   Universalium

  • The Exciting Wilson Pickett — Infobox Album Name = The Exciting Wilson Pickett Type = studio Artist = Wilson Pickett Released = 1966 Recorded = May 12, 1965 ndash;May 8, 1966 Memphis, Tennessee and Muscle Shoals, Alabama Genre = R B/Soul Length = Label = Atlantic 8129… …   Wikipedia

  • Ritchie Pickett — Infobox musical artist 2 Name = Ritchie Pickett Img capt = Ritchie Pickett at the King s Arms, 2003. Background = solo singer Birth name = Ritchie Francis Pickett Alias = Born = birth date and age|1955|2|16 Died = Origin = Morrinsville, New… …   Wikipedia

  • Tom Pickett (outlaw) — Tom Pickett (1858 May 14, 1934) was a 19th century American cowboy, professional gambler and, as both a lawman and outlaw at various points in his life, was an associate of Dave Rudabaugh and later Billy the Kid. BiographyBorn in Camp… …   Wikipedia

  • Cynthia Pickett-Adams — Cynthia Pickett Adams, also known as Cynthia D. Adams (born March 23, 1961) is a former city councilmember for the City of Aliso Viejo, California. First elected to the city council upon the city s incorporation in 2001, Adams served as the city… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”