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1800S, THERE WERE ABOUT 35,000 COWBOYS IN THE U.S. BUT WHAT CLASSIC WESTERN MOVIES DON’T CAPTURE IS THE DIVERSITY. ABOUT A QUARTER OF THOSE COWBOYS WERE BELIEVED TO BE BLACK. BILL PICKETT, BORN AROUND 1870, WAS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS BLACK COWBOYS. HE INVENTED A TECHNIQUE FOR BRINGING A YOUNG STEER TO THE GROUND CALLED BULLDOGGING. WELL, NOW MORE THAN A CENTURY LATER, HIS NAME LIVES ON THROUGH THE BILL PICKETT INVITATIONAL RODEO. OUR PRODUCER, TARA CLEARY, TAKES US THERE. IT’S AN ADRENALINE RUSH. IS SOMETHING THAT JUST IS IN ME NOW AND I CAN’T GET IT OUT. SO I CRAVE IT EVERY DAY, EVERY CHANCE I GET. MY NAME IS DARRELL ELLIOTT. I’M A STEER WRESTLER FROM BEAUMONT, TEXAS. I WORK FOR THE RAILROAD, SO THAT’S MY FULL TIME JOB. BUT RODEO IS MY FULL TIME LIFE. IN THIS RODEO LIFE THAT WE DO, EVERYBODY’S FAMILY, SO IT’S NOT A COMPETITION WHERE I’M COMPETING AGAINST THE NEXT GUY NEXT TO ME. WE ONLY COMPETE AGAINST THE CLOCK. RIGHT BEFORE I COMPETE, A CALM GOES ALL OVER YOU. WE’RE DEALING WITH SECONDS AND TENTHS OF A SECOND, HUNDREDTHS OF A SECOND. IT COMES DOWN TO MILLISECONDS SOMETIMES. SO MUSCLE MEMORY KICKS IN. YOU CAN’T THINK FAST ENOUGH TO REACT WITH BILL PICKETT. THE BIG INFLUENCE FOR ME WAS THEM OPENING UP DOORS FOR A LOT OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN COWBOYS TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS. MY DECEASED HUSBAND WENT TO A RODEO BACK IN 1977, AND ONE OF THE THINGS HE NOTICED IS THAT HE DIDN’T SEE ANYONE THAT LOOKED LIKE HIM. SO HE CAME BACK AND DID A LOT OF RESEARCH. AND WHAT HE FOUND IS THAT THERE WERE THOUSANDS OF BLACK COWBOYS AND COWGIRLS ALL ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, BUT THEY WERE NOT GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO PERFORM OR COMPETE. SO HE SAID, I’M GOING TO CREATE AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN RODEO ASSOCIATION. AND SO HERE WE ARE, 40 YEARS LATER, STILL GOING VERY STRONG. THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE RODEO, THE COMPETITION HAS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS. WE HAVE CREATED MORE RODEO EVENTS FOR WOMEN. ALL RIGHT, COME ON, GIRL, POWER IS DEFINITELY A THING FOR SURE. THE LESSONS THAT IT TEACHES, STRENGTH. WOMEN CAN STILL BE FEMININE AND STILL BE ABLE TO DO THIS. MY NAME IS DENISHA HENDERSON AND I COMPETE IN THE LADIES BARREL RACING. THE LADIES STEER UNDECORATING AND THE LADIES BREAKAWAY. MY NAME IS DENISE TYAS. I COMPETE IN THE LADIES BARREL RACING AND THE LADIES STEER UNDECORATING YOUTUBE. THE MAIN PRIZE FOR THE AFRICAN AMERICAN RODEO. IT’S THAT CULTURE. IT BRINGS A DIFFERENT LITTLE SWAG TO IT BECAUSE WE ARE AFRICAN AMERICAN RODEO CIRCUIT. WE COULD NOT GET AMERICA TO SPONSOR US. AND WHEN I SAY AMERICA, I’M TALKING ABOUT CORPORATE AMERICA. AS WE GREW, OUR AUDIENCES, THEN CORPORATE AMERICA SAY, WELL, WAIT A MINUTE, LOOK AT THIS. THERE ARE TONS OF PEOPLE GOING TO THIS RODEO. WE MIGHT NEED TO LOOK AT IT. DO WE HAVE THE LEVEL OF SPONSORSHIP THAT THE OTHER ASSOCIATIONS HAVE? NO. GETTING SPONSORSHIP IS A PROBLEM FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY BECAUSE THE STEREOTYPE THAT GOES BEHIND IT, LIKE, ARE THEY GOING TO DO THE RIGHT THINGS WITH THE MONEY THAT WE GIVE ALL OF THOSE GUYS THAT GOT SPONSORSHIP, MOST OF THEM ARE IN THE TOP BECAUSE THEY MAKE COMPETITION A LITTLE BIT MORE EASY. THEY TOOK A LITTLE BIT OF PRESSURE OFF OF THEM. THANK YOU CHRIS. THIS IS SO MUCH GOING ON IN THIS WORLD TODAY. SO MANY NEGATIVE THINGS. RODEO IS TRULY A POSITIVE THING. I ALWAYS SAY IT’S GOOD, CLEAN FUN. YEAH, YOU MAY BE PLAYING IN THE DIRT, BUT IT��