b'Bill Picke ttAmerican Cowboy HeroPART 2 By Alan RockmanB ill Pickett\'s journey towas more than half non-Black, as other performers rodeo superstardom didwould refuse to compete with a Black Cowboy, so he not commence with hisconcentrated on Pickett\'s mixed heritage of Black, white, severing ties with Lee Moore inand Cherokee and came up with promoting Pickett with 1902. No, not even close. In fact,the moniker of "The Dusty Demon" (Ibid, p.40; Wallis, North Fort Worth Historical Societywhile Pickett\'s reputation as ap. 254). Thus, Pickett was able to perform and to wow rodeo performer increased, itaudiences along the rodeo circuit in the Western states, took three years with Pickett going through at least twoand in one of his very first major performances under more managers before he would find the perfect fit withMcClure\'s management, he wowed 20,000 audience the Miller Brothers. It began with a major event, wouldspectators with his bulldogging, roping, and riding skills last through many rodeos and Wild West shows for overat the 1904 Cheyenne Frontier Days celebration, held the next quarter of a century, and a very close, almostfrom August 30 through September 1.familial association with the Miller family that would only end with Pickett\'s sad and untimely death in 1932. Numerous American newspapers heralded Pickett\'shead and grasped the upper lip of the animal with his prowess in the arena, but one that particularly stoodteeth, threw his arms wide apart to show he was not using In the meantime though, Bill Pickett went through twoout was the reportage of John Dicks Howe of Newhis hands, and sank slowly upon his back. The steer lost his other colorful managers before the Millers did take anYork City\'s Harper\'s Weekly, who in his coverage offooting and rolled upon his back, completely covering the interest in him. The first was Dave McClure, a rodeothe Frontier Days reported (in the somewhat racistNegro\'s body with its own. The crowd was speechless with promoter known as "Mister Cowboy" (Hanes, Bill Pickettvernacular of the day): A Cowboy Carnival inhorror, many believing that the Negro had been crushed; Bulldogger, p. 40; Wallis, The Real Wild West, p. 251).WyomingCelebrating Frontier Days in Cheyennebut a second later the steer rolled to its other side, and While Moore knew of Pickett\'s potential, he did notThe events took place at the fairgrounds, a mile northPickett arose uninjured, bowing and smiling. So great was have the same extensive ties with the rodeo networkof Cheyenne. Near the west end of the arena werethe applause that the darkey once again attacked the steer, that McClure did, and McClure, known to have theconstructed huge, powerful corrals, or stockades, in whichwhich had staggered to its feet, and again threw it after a expertise and the associations with rodeo in a number ofwere imprisoned the wild horse and steers that were todesperate struggle" (Hanes, pp. 45-46).Western states was quickly able to book Pickett in rodeotake part in the contests. Running south from the corrals events in states outside of Texas and the Indian Territorya strong built fence extended towards the center of theIn the following year, Pickett came under the (Oklahoma). Pickett soon found himself roping, riding,oval that running steers or wild horses would take themanagement and tutelage of Canadian Guy ("Cheyenne and being the star attraction in rodeo events in Arizona,proper course when their turn came. Back of this fenceBill") Weadick, a close friend of the artist Charlie North Dakota, Wyoming and other ranching statescongregated hundreds of Cowboys and Cowgirls, whoRussell, and a trick roping Cowboy in his own right, not throughout the West (Ibid., p. 251). acted as aides and assistants in carrying out the variousto mention a founder of the famed Calgary Stampede features of the programme. In the stands reserved forseveral years after his association with Pickett. Weadick The budding rodeo star would constantly be asked aboutguests were noted the faces of many prominent men of thewas also good friends with the Miller brothers of the how and why his bulldogging technique was so uniqueWest, leading railroad officials, the proprietors of the great101 Ranch in the Oklahoma Territory, who for years and special, and why he would NEVER use a rope. InDenver dailies, and scores of other notables. had been toying with the idea of arranging a touring response to one of the queries made by a Denver PostWild West show of their own. As the famed Western reporter, Pickett, in the vernacular of the day said: The great event of the celebration this year was thewriter Michael Wallis pointed out in the The Real remarkable feat of Will Pickett, a Negro hailing fromWild West: "By 1905, the 101 Ranch, building on the "Yessah. Ah t\'rows dem wif mah teeth," he declared,Taylor, Texas, who gave his exhibition while 20,000 peoplefoundation built by patriarch George Washington when the young man to whom he was talking began towatched with wonder and admiration a mere man,Miller, was fast becoming a significant gathering place look wild-eyed and anxious. "Ah\'s tellin\' yo\' de truf- unarmed and without a device or appliance of any kind,for historical figures, celebrities, and notables from all shore. And then he went on to explain just how heattack a fiery, wild-eyed and powerful steer and throwcorners of the globe. The ranch was poised to evolve caught, threw, and tied a steer in 12 1/2 seconds withoutit by his teeth. With the aid of a helper, Pickett chasedinto a fertile spawning ground for motion-picture stars, the use of a lariat, beating the world\'s record with a lariatthe steer until he was in front of the grand stand. Thenrodeo champions, and notorious characters. It also by 5 1/2 seconds. he jumped from the saddle and landed on the back ofbecame a haunt for myth makers, including the Millers the animal, grasped its horns, and brought it to a stopthemselves, always firm believers that the West was not "De ropes jes\' in the way," he persisted. Yo\' see, Ah jes\'within a dozen feet. By a remarkable display of strengthjust a region but a state of mind" (Wallis, p. 227).gets mah hos\' and dey turns de steer loose an Ah goeshe twisted the steer\'s head until its nose pointed straight to \'im jumps jes\' like Ah\'s has a rope an\' w\'en Ah comesinto the air, the animal bellowing with pain and its tongueBy managing Pickett, Weadick brought them into the up to his head Ah jumps offer de hos\' an\' nails de steerprotruding in its effort to secure air. Again and again theMiller Brothers orbit, which would be fortuitous for both by de horns - mah lef\' hand cross his neck lights on hisNegro was jerked from his feet and tossed into the air, butof them. It is ironic that if Pickett had been known to the lef\' horn, an\' mah right hand grabs de right horn. Denhis grip on the horns never loosened, and the steer failed inMillers\' patriarchal father, George Washington Miller just Ah pulls up his head an\' stops his running - den Ahits efforts to gore him. Cowboys with their lariats rushed tothree or four years earlier, he might never have had the reaches over the top of his head wif mah own head an\'Pickett\'s assistance, but the action of the combat was toochance of eventually living and working on the 101 Ranch, grabs \'im by the upper lip wif mah teeth - what\'s left ofrapid for them. Before help could be given, Pickett, wholet alone performing for the Miller Brothers\' Wild West \'em - an t\'rows mahself back mighty hard - an\' de steerhad forced the steer\'s nose into the mud and shut off itsshows, for George W. Miller was a die-hard Confederate he kirflollops on de groun\' - sometimes he lights on me -wind, slipped, and was tossed aside like a piece of paper.veteran and an open racist who believed in the institution sometimes he doesn\'t, but anyhow, Ah hols\' \'imtill I tiesThere was a scattering of Cowboys as he jumped to his feetof slavery. But George Washington Miller had passed his feet" (Hanes, p. 42). and ran for his horse. Taking the saddle without touchingaway from pneumonia three years earlier, and his sons the stirrup, he ran the steer to a point opposite the judgesapparently did not share their father\'s convictions, or if McClure was also wise enough to realize that if Pickett hadstand, again jumped on his back, and threw it. Twicethey had, carefully kept them to themselves for the almost been billed as a "Negro Cowboy" he would be barred fromwas the Negro lifted from his feet, but he held on with thethree decades of their close - and friendly - association the by-then segregated rodeo circuit even if his bloodlinetenacity of a bulldog. Suddenly Pickett dropped the steer\'swith one of their star performers in a cavalcade of star 54 October 2022'