2003 Hall of Fame Inductee
Bill Pickett

2003 Hall of Fame Inductee

Bill Pickett

Bill Pickett is the father of "bulldogging" and the best-known African American cowboy who created the unusual style of steer wrestling by using his teeth to subdue a steer. Pickett and his horse "Spradley" were a box-office draw in rodeos and thrilled crowds from Texas to Madison Square Garden, even England. Over the years Pickett's assistants included Will Rogers and Tom Mix, both of whom would make the big time in show business. In 1971, Bill Pickett became the first African American voted into Oklahoma City's Cowboy Hall of Fame; and in 1987, a bronze statue showing him bulldogging was unveiled at the Fort Worth Cowtown Coliseum.

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