BILL PICKETT
Name: Bill Pickett
Born: 5 December 1870
Died: 2 April 1932
Willie M. "Bill" Pickett (December 5, 1870 - April 2, 1932) was a cowboy and
rodeo performer.
Pickett was born in the Jenks-Branch community of Travis County, Texas. He was
the second of 13 children born to Thomas Jefferson Pickett, a former slave, and
Mary "Janie" Gilbert. The family's ancestry was black, white and Cherokee Native
American.
Pickett attended school through the fifth grade, after which he took up 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.
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.
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.
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.
Name: Bill Pickett
Born: 5 December 1870
Died: 2 April 1932
Willie M. "Bill" Pickett (December 5, 1870 - April 2, 1932) was a cowboy and
rodeo performer.
Pickett was born in the Jenks-Branch community of Travis County, Texas. He was
the second of 13 children born to Thomas Jefferson Pickett, a former slave, and
Mary "Janie" Gilbert. The family's ancestry was black, white and Cherokee Native
American.
Pickett attended school through the fifth grade, after which he took up 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.
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.
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.
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.