Bill Pickett: William (Will, Bill) Pickett was a legendary cowboy from Taylor, Texas of black and Indian descent.
He was born December 5, 1870, at the Jenks-Branch community on the Travis County line. He died April 2, 1932, near Ponca City, Ok.
From 1905 to 1931, the Miller brothers' 101 Ranch Wild West Show was one of the great shows in the tradition begun by William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody in 1883. The 101 Ranch Show introduced bulldogging (steer wrestling), an exciting rodeo event invented by Bill Pickett, one of the show's stars.
Riding his horse, Spradley, Pickett came alongside a Longhorn steer, dropped to the steer's head, twisted its head toward the sky, and bit its upper lip to get full control. Cow dogs of the Bulldog breed were known to bite the lips of cattle to subdue them. That's how Pickett's technique got the name "bulldogging." As the event became more popular among rodeo cowboys, the lip biting became increasingly less popular until it disappeared from steer wrestling altogether. Bill Pickett, however, became an immortal rodeo cowboy, and his fame has grown since his death.
He died in 1932 as a result of injuries received from working horses at the 101 Ranch. His grave is on what is left of the 101 Ranch properties near Ponca City, Oklahoma. Pickett as inducted into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1972 for his contribution to the sport.
Bill Pickett was the second of thirteen children born to Thomas Jefferson and Mary Virginia Elizabeth (Gilbert) Pickett, both of whom were former slaves. He began his career as a cowboy after completing the fifth grade. Bill soon began giving exhibitions of his roping, riding and bulldogging skills, passing a hat for donations.
By 1888, his family had moved to Taylor, Texas, and Bill performed in the town's first fair that year. He and his brothers started a horse-breaking business in Taylor, and Bill was a member of the National Guard and a deacon of the Baptist church.
In December 1890, Bill married Maggie Turner. Known by the nicknames "The Dusky Demon" and "The Bull-Dogger," Pickett gave exhibitions in Texas and throughout the West. His performance in 1904 at the Cheyenne Frontier Days (America's best-known rodeo) was considered extraordinary and spectacular.
He signed on with the 101 Ranch show in 1905, becoming a full-time ranch employee in 1907. The next year, he moved his wife and children to Oklahoma.
He later performed in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, South America, and England, and became the first black cowboy movie star. Had he not been banned from competing with white rodeo contestants, Pickett might have become one of the greatest record-setters in his sport. He was often identified as an Indian, or some other ethnic background other than black, to be allowed to compete.
Bill Pickett died after being kicked in the head by a horse. In 1989, years after being honored by the National Rodeo Hall of Fame he was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy at Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Bibliography: Howard R. Lamar, ed., The Readers Encyclopedia of the American West. (New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Co, 1977) p. 1028.
Ron Tyler, ed., The New Handbook of Texas, Vol. 5 (Austin, Texas: Texas State Historical Association, 1996) pp. 190-91.
Rose Smith Rose Smith Performs Some Dangerous Stunts
"The great Cheyenne Frontier Days was in it's fourth day. The year was 1924. Rose Smith was leading in the cowgirl's bronc riding contest and also looked like the winner in the cowgirl's trick riding contest.
"The cowgirl's bronc riding had already been run off for that afternoon and Rose had made an excellent ride, that looked like the best ride of the afternoon, one that would perhaps put her further in the lead for the finals of this event, and now the trick riding was starting.
"Rose, an absolutely fearless rider, had performed five difficult stunts upon the back of her dashing cowpony and was ready to make the sixth and final run of the afternoon contest.
"She headed her pony down the track and while it was running at breakneck speed attempted to leave the saddle, go down on one side of the horse, pass underneath the animal's body and regain the saddle from the opposite side, one of the most dangerous stunts known to trick riding.
"Rose went down on the side of the horse and under. The iron shod hooves barely missed her head as she crawled between the front and hind legs, and just as she grasped the strap on the side of the saddle and started to pull herself up to the saddle, the hind foot of the running cowpony struck her in the side.
"She toppled to the ground, the impetus of the blow causing her to roll over a time or two, and then she sprawled like a lifeless body in the dust of the track.
"She was removed from the track upon a stretcher and hurried to the first aid room while spectators were hoping that she was not fatally injured or crippled for life, and were saddened by the fact that she had suffered such an injury just when she had a chance to win one or perhaps two championship titles.
"The next and final day, when Rose Smith showed up on the grounds, rode her final bucking horse to a finish & won the cowgirl's bronc riding title, the spectators were surprised. But when it came to the trick riding, they were all wondering if she would try the same dangerous stunt in which she was injured the previous day.
"A hush settled down over the vast audience as Rose Smith turned her pony down the track for the sixth and final run. Yes, she was going under the horse again! She completed the stunt with lightening speed, and just as the applause burst forth from the spectators, she surprised both them and the judges by performing the stunt again with lightening rapidity, twice going under the horse in one run down the track for a little more than the length of the grandstand.
" It was the first time they had seen the trick done in double style. It clinched the championship title for her, and as she whirled from her horse, raced back, stopped in front of the grandstand and waved to the audience, an old cowhand who had been attending the Cheyenne show for years and who had seen champions come and go, turned away with the remark: 'If I have to go, I can die now--I've seen everything!' "
Author Unknown: Shared by Family of Rose Smith
Rose Smith was the wife of Oklahoma Curly Roberts.
I loved this picture of her and she is also very pretty in my latest soon available of the 7 Rodeo Gals!
Prairie Rose Henderson  In July of 1939, sheepherder, A. Martinez, found the remains of a woman’s body the coroner later identified as that of Mrs. Charles Coleman. Bits of remaining clothing, some said a belt buckle were used in the identification. Mrs. Coleman is better known by the name she had during her long and distinguished career in rodeo from the early 1900’s until the late 20’s, Prairie Rose Henderson!
Prairie Rose had disappeared seven years earlier in the only thing she was said to fear, a Wyoming blizzard!
Mrs. Clay Irwin Foster remembered Prairie Rose as a 16 year old girl out of Chicago. When she joined the Irwin
Brother’s Show she had run away from home and she suffered from bouts of depression.
Stories conflict depending upon what you read but since this makes a good story whether the fact or not I share it with you. It has been noted in some accounts that Prairie Rose appeared at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo in 1901 and having been egged on by the men contestants asked the officials to grant her a mount for the bucking horse contest. She was firmly told that their by-laws stated only men were allowed to enter. Not to be discouraged she asked to see those written by-laws. There, of course, were none to produce, whereupon she insisted upon being granted entry.
She thus may have been the first woman to ride a bucking horse at Cheyenne. Bertha Kalpernik is officially recorded to have been the first but who knows.
Milt Hinkle, a veteran rodeo hand, in his reminiscences said he had witnessed Annie Schaffer, an Arkansas girl, on the back of a bronc in the Fort Smith rodeo in 1896. Many did not officially keep written records during this time & each rodeo company was pretty well independent of the others so they could do pretty much as they wished.
She was an accomplished bronc rider until late in the 20’s. She was also Queen in 1910 at the Pendleton Roundup. She joined several Wild West shows including the Irwin Brothers show. She lived for some time with Johnny Judd and in 1932 married Wyoming rancher Charley Coleman. Their ranch was in the Green Mountain Section northwest of Rawlins.
She was first at some other things that we know are true. She was in dread of the riding clothing women of the day were forced to use and fashioned bloomers instead of skirts for herself and was quite creative in the overall design of the vests, blouses etc. of the rest of her outfit. Bright colors were defiantly in! She decorated her costumes in various ways, like an ostrich overblouse with sequins for trim and a band of marabou feathers. In later fashion trends the ladies wore bloomers, jodhpurs and shorter fringed skirts. Boleros were also popular and from the first brightly colored scarves were used as the picture of Mrs. Ed (Margie) Wright shows.
So successful was her appearance that others were soon asking her to fashion some for them and still others took to sewing their own. Thus we have a new trend for the American cowboy dress. Prior to this the men had always dressed in white shirts to compete but Mable Strickland went one step beyond Prairie Rose and made her husband Hugo a bright blue shirt!
Of coarse all the men then wanted one so we now have them wearing bright colors as well! Bob Crosby: One of the most well liked rodeo competitors in his day, Robert Anderson Crosby was born to ranching parents from Midland, Texas, February 27, 1897. While still a youngster the family moved to a ranch near Kenna, New Mexico.
From a very young age a horse was his mode of transport whether it be school, work, or his faithful church attendance. His love and knowledge of horsemanship led him to raise and train these animals throughout his life. Some of the roping and cutting Quarter Horses he owned were Reservation, Fiddleface, Junebug, Comet, Powder Horn, Bullet, Miss Aledo, Scarface, and Jelly Bean. He made his Cross B brand famous in his day!
Bob took up rodeo, as many did during these hard times, to add income to the family budget. His winnings at his first big contest were $2,300 in 1923 at Yankee Stadium, New York City, he was 26 years old. One of the original members of the CTA and first elected board member in 1936.
This fun loving cowboy was known for his famous old black hat, his "lucky hat", as well for winning and "retiring" the "Roosevelt Trophy." This award given for being the all-around cowboy award winner three separate years at the Pendelton, Oregon Round-up and Cheyenne Frontier Days. This award is documented in the picture I have painted of him in the Gallery Oils. He won in 1925, 1927, and 1928.
"Life" magazine did an article on him in which they called Bob "The King of the Cowboys."
Well known for his roping, Wild Horse Bob, won the calf roping at Madison Square Gardens three times; the steer roping at Cheyenne twice; and the steer roping at Pendelton four times, he was almost equally well known for competing with many severe injuries. At one time he worked on a leg that the doctors believed should have been amputated. Over his lifetime he suffered many other severe injuries but never let them take him out of competion. His death came at the
age of 50 in 1947 while on the way to his home. Killed instantly when the Jeep he was driving failed to negotiate the bridge across Acme Draw.
Bob was inducted into the Rodeo Hall of fame in 1966.
| A little history of the organizing of Rodeo: 
This photo has been used many time since being taken in 1920 but few knew who the cowboy was!
His full name was Nels Roger Erickson & the picture was taken during a ride he made at Rock Springs, WY in the early 1920s. Nels came to America in 1909 at ten years old with his family from Sweden. He was well known as was his dear friend Jim Ramsey for their ability to stick a bronc.
Grandpa didn't rodeo all the time, he was a working rancher, but he said one time he missed going to New York's Madison Square Garden by one ride. He made believers out of many rangy broncs for ranches in Sweetwater County Wyoming.
Nels had long, strong legs and he said he never went anywhere without a buck strap, so any rough bronc was fair game!
It was my good fortune to meet up with one of the original rodeo historians and information Ken Ballard, then of Atlantic City, WY. will be added here in the coming days! Also my interview with one who lived the life in her childhood, D'Lyla Kerscher Longo, daughter of William "Pete" & Burneta Reese Kerscher. I have had the privilege to call this wonderful woman "friend & neighbor" & I know you will enjoy her input!!!
For an organization that began with their home office being the trunk of the Linderman brother's car and called by the unlikely name of the "Turtles" the sport has come a long way! What is today known as the "PRCA" or "Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association" had very humble beginings. Prior to the "Rodeo Cowboy's Association", "RCA", being formed the cowboys united & formed an organization they called "The Cowboy Turtles Association" or CTA. So called because they said, "The cowboy was slow to start but sure to finish." As the popularity of rodeo grew there were good as well as bad aspects to the sport. It had become obvious that some organization must come into play but the cowboys themselves were kept busy just getting from one rodeo to the next & most did not have a business background so things came to be governed by those who were the managers & organizers of these events. This organization was known as the Rodeo Association of America or RAA. Things were better in some respects but there were still times when the prize money just did not appear for the winning cowboys & towns were unhappy due to the fact that there were many "hangers on" who followed the rodeos just so they could party and raise Cain. Many were the hotel owners who had boarders leave town without paying for their room. Some of these were the contestants themselves down on their luck but most were these would be performers. Many attempts were made such as "The Wild Bunch" but it was not until 1936 at Boston Gardens that things came to a head and the cowboys called a strike. The 61 original signers of the protest wanted more say for the contestants, standardized rules, among other issues. From this small beginning the CTA of "Cowboy Turtles Association" came into existence. They elected their first Board of Directors November 6, 1936. Everett Bowman was elected 8 years in a row and they sought to keep it so the only cowboys allowed to enter a competition were members of the CTA. This gave the cowboys some much needed leverage with the mainly management run RAA. It also really put a lid on those "hangers on". In 1945 the CTA & the RAA both disbanded in favor of the Rodeo Cowboy's Association or RCA & rodeo came in line with what we have today with the "PRCA" or Professional Rodeo Cowboy's Association. Fox Hastings: Fox Hastings the only female bulldogger. Her fastest time was 17 seconds, a record set in 1924.
Born Eloise Fox, she ran away from a convent, her California home, at the age of 14 to begin her career riding bucking horses and trick riding. She joined the Irwin Brother's Wild West Show.
She married Paul Raymond "Mike" Hastings (1891-1965), a bulldogger and steer wrestler. After marrying, Eloise Fox dropped her first name, becoming Fox Hastings. She made her bulldogging debut at a 1924 rodeo in Houston. She learned bulldogging from Mike also a very successful bulldogger. They later were divorced.
"To the rodeo crowd she is Fox Hastings, cowgirl extraordinary. To neighbors, she is Mrs. Mike Hastings, a good cook and tidy housekeeper." (Cowgirls, Savage p.73, quoting Newspaper Story.)
Fox Hastings and Mabel Strickland, were a part of husband and wife teams closely associated with Frontier Days.
Her second husband died of a heart attack in 1948 and two weeks later she took her own life.
She was one of the pioneer ladies of the rodeo!
Earl Thode: Born in 1900 and raised on the family ranch near Belvidere, South Dakota Earl grew up with a close relationship to bucking horses & earned money breaking them for his family and neighbors. The need to earn money caused him, as well as many other young men of that era, to look more closely at the competion of rodeo. Winners didn't make a lot of money but more than his present work did. Since he believed he could do well he entered a few small local contests, did well & decided to try his hand at one of the then top 10 Rodeos, at White River, South Dakota in1920.
My great Grandparents, the Tomsiks owned the hotel in White River for many years & Grandma Van Schaack, Rose A. Tomsik, was a 16 year old girl that summer and she was at that rodeo and always followed Earl Thode's career because she had met him. As I began doing these pictures I was reminded of her mention of him to me years ago.
From his start in 1920 Earl went on to many other Rodeos and in 1927 decided he did well enough at Saddle Bronc and Steer wrestling to make it his career.
In 1929 Rodeo Association of America was formed by the producers and managers of the events. Up till then the scoring of contestants was set at each individual location. By their judges and no standards for the judging were for all Rodeos. Beginning in 1929 all rodeos that were members of the RAA were judged by the same rules so things were much more standardized and fair.
The RAA named their very first "All Around Cowboy" that year and Earl Thode took the prize! He did quite well placing high in most events he entered and in 1931 he won the Saddle Bronc title.
When he retired he had invested his winnings well in cattle and was able to buy his own ranch in Arizona.
Mable Strickland:
In the early 1900s one rodeo cowgirl stood out because of her natural beauty and charm, and her abilities to ride and rope. Newspaper accounts called Mable DeLong Strickland ‘the Lovely Lady of Rodeo’ and some said she looked more like a ‘Follies beauty’ than a champion cowgirl. Her features were delicate, her hair was always done in the most attractive style and her western clothing fit perfectly and was always of the most flattering styles. Throughout her twenty-five year rodeo career she had the respect of all who knew her and later received honors from various Halls of Fame confirming her rodeo prowess.
Mabel DeLong was born in 1897 in Lowden, near Walla Walla, Washington. Her father, a boot maker, introduced her to the world of rodeo very early. By the time she was in her teens she had become a natural horsewoman. She took lessons from Bill Donovan, a trick rider, and won the trick riding contest in Walla Walla three years in a row, 1913, 1914 and 1915. Her first major accomplishments were as a relay rider. She was very petite weighing around 98 pounds.
In 1918 Mabel married Hugh Strickland, 1916 and 1920 Saddle Bronc Champion. At first they settled on a farm near Mountain Home, Idaho, but soon found themselves in debt. They decided to go to a Round Up at nearby Twin Falls and see if they could win some money to help pay their debts. Hugh not only won, but was also arena director which paid, too. On the way home the saddle Hugh had won was sold to a young man for $250 and their debts were paid! They decided farming was not for them, rodeo was much more profitable, and proceeded down the rodeo road.
Mabel was not only a relay racer but one of the best trick riders of the day. Mabel was a very talented racer and never suffered a major injury. She also rode steers, broncs and husband, Hugh, taught her to rope steers and calves. They were quite a team, and both had the talent to win in a variety of events. At the beginning Hugh was not in favor of his wife competing against the men but later got a big kick out of it!
In 1926 the cover of the Cheyenne Frontier Days program was a photograph of Mabel Strickland riding a bronc of Mike Hastings’s named "Stranger". The only woman to ever be featured on the cover of the program. ( Art Oil Mable Strickland 2 is the photo of her on Stranger).
Hugh Strickland enjoyed pitting Mabel against male steer ropers, and finally they encourage him to do contract exhibition steer roping. It was no secret they were ‘tired’ of having Mabel as competition! She rode Buster, Hugh’s roping horse, for her trick riding performances. She did hippodrome stands, vaults, and even passed under the belly of the horse. In Cheyenne she won the 1922 and 1923 Ladies' Relay Championship and the 1923 Ladies' Saddle Bronc contest. In 1925 she roped and tied a steer in 24 seconds.
In the 1930s Mabel and Hugh Strickland went to Hollywood. She appeared in several western films with Yakima Canutt and "Rhythm on the Range with Bing Crosby.
Hugh Strickland passed away in 1941. She and Hugh had one daughter, April, who became well known in her own right as an ice skater. Mabel eventually married Sam Woodward and moved to Buckeye, Arizona in 1948, where she became active in the state and national Appaloosa Horse Club. She was inducted in to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Hall of Fame, the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Hall of Fame, the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame, the Pendleton Hall of Fame in 1972, the first lady to be so honored there, and the Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame.
After a lengthy battle with cancer she passed away January 3, 1976 at 79 years of age.
Family input coming also for Hugh Strickland ! |