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Hellbent For Leather: USA's Only African-American Touring Rodeo Comes Rollin' Into LA
Photo by Bootsendra via Flickr
Originally created to "entertain" and educate the public about "the history of black cowboys and pioneers," the nation's only African-American touring rodeo, the Bill Pickett Invitational, is making a stop in Southern California this weekend, reports KPCC. The rodeo, around since the mid-80, appeals to "audiences of all kinds - city slickers included."
Bill Pickett, for whom the rodeo is name, was the first African American rodeo athlete inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. He "made a sport of wrangling cattle by the horns and wrestling them to the ground. Enthusiasts say his specialty was 'bulldogging' - grabbing a steer's lip with his teeth to gain control." He died in 1932, not entirely surprisingly, from a horse-kick to the head.
Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo
Industry Hills Expo Center
6200 Temple Avenue
Industry, CA 91744
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