By Darlene Donloe
Contributing Writer
CITY OF INDUSTRY — The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo is celebrating its 40th year with four days of events in the Los Angeles area, culminating with two days of rodeo events July 20-21 at the Industry Hills Expo Center.
“We are elated to be in Los Angeles, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo,” said Valeria Howard-Cunningham, who produces the rodeo. “We’re especially excited about the events scheduled over the four days. At the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo, there is never a dull moment. Everyone will want to be part of this historic celebration.”
The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a national tour that started in January and will run into August with stops remaining in Atlanta and Fort Worth.
The Los Angeles celebration begins July 18 with the first Soul Country Music Star competition at the Autry Museum of the American West in Griffith Park. The event begins with a red-carpet reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by the competition at 8:30. The event will be hosted by Emmy Award-winning actor Obba Babatundé.
Festivities continue July 19 at the Autry Museum with a free Youth Agriculture and Conservation Festival from noon to 3 p.m.
The festival aims to raise awareness of agriculture, providing insights on scholarships, mentoring and available internship programs. Attendees can enjoy pony rides, farm animals, rodeo games, food trucks, resource vendors, and more.
The event is open to young adult organizations (ages 14 to 21). Admission is free, and lunch coupons are provided to the first 200 registered students. Registration is available online.
In the evening, an evening of Black western culture will take place at the Autry Museum from 5 to 9 p.m. It will include entertainment, celebrity guests, games, food trucks and more.
The scene moves east to the city of Industry in the San Gabriel Valley for what promoters call the “greatest show on dirt,” two days of rodeo events. The show begins at 7 p.m. July 20 and at 3 p.m. July 21.
Ever since it was founded 40 years ago, the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo has paid homage to the rich legacy of the Black cowboy.
Launched in 1984 by Lu Vason, a producer, music promoter and marketing consultant who died in 2015, the rodeo’s mission is to support Black cowboys and cowgirls and educate the public on their culture and their influence on the development of the West.
Vason created the Bill Pickett Rodeo to address the injustice that Black cowboys weren’t allowed to showcase their skills on platforms.
The rodeo is named after Bill Pickett, considered the most famous Black rodeo performer of all time, who was renowned for inventing the sport of steer wrestling. Known as the Dusky Demon, he was known for the technique of subduing a steer by grabbing its horns, twisting its head and biting its nose or lower lip, according to the National Rodeo Hall of Fame.
The audacious move proved to be a showstopper, however it’s been discontinued due to animal cruelty concerns. Today no one involved in the rodeo is biting an animal’s lips, but in a previous interview, Howard-Cunningham said the show is still a crowd-pleaser.
“Anybody who comes to a Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo and has the full experience ultimately realizes it’s something they will never forget,” she said.
The rodeo includes bareback riding, relay racing, ladies steer undecorating, ladies barrel racing, bull riding, junior barrel racing, junior breakaway roping and bulldogging.
While the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo is about competition, culture, tradition and entertainment, it also supports education and awareness for youth through the Bill Pickett Memorial Scholarship Fund, a nonprofit whose mission is to provide scholarships to deserving students nationwide and provide education opportunities.
Darlene Donloe is a freelance reporter for Wave Newspapers who covers South Los Angeles. She can be reached at ddonloe@gmail.com.
Photo by Ed Miller
