Bill Pickett

Bill Picket was the first African American inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City and the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs. A superstar in his day, Pickett was a rodeo pioneer, credited with inventing the rodeo event, steer wrestling, also known as "bull dogging." His life story is as exciting and danger filled as any Western novel. A star on the Wild West show circuit, Pickett traveled the world and performed in front of thousands of spectators. His daring and deeds have put him in the record books and made him one of the most celebrated cowboys in Western lore. In his entertaining storytelling style, educator Malcolm Dickinson recounts how the inventor of "bull dogging" got his start and became a hero for generations.