Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo Tour 2026

The History Hollywood Left Out

An estimated one in four cowboys in the American West was Black — a fact largely erased from a century of film and television that gave the world an almost entirely white image of the cowboy. The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo (BPIR), named for the legendary Black rodeo performer credited with inventing the technique of bulldogging (steer wrestling), exists specifically to correct that record. Now in its 42nd year, BPIR is America's only touring Black rodeo, bringing real competitive rodeo — bull riding, barrel racing, bulldogging, and more — to cities across the country each year, performed entirely by Black cowboys and cowgirls.

The 2026 Tour

BPIR runs as a multi-city tour from February through October, with 2026 stops including Fort Worth, Texas (multiple dates), Memphis, Tennessee, Atlanta, Georgia, Oakland and Los Angeles, California, and closing with the championship finals in the Washington, DC / Maryland / Virginia area, September 18-19, 2026. Because it's a touring event, the smartest way to plan around BPIR is to check the current schedule for a stop near you, or to build a trip specifically around the DC-area finals — typically the tour's highest-stakes, most competitive stop of the year.

What to Expect at a Stop

Full competitive rodeo events — bull riding, bareback riding, barrel racing, steer wrestling, and more — alongside real historical programming and commentary connecting the sport back to the actual, documented history of Black cowboys in the settling of the American West. It's a genuinely unique event category on the Black travel calendar: visually striking, historically substantive, and unlike almost anything else covered on BTN.

Why This History Matters

Bill Pickett himself was a rodeo legend in his own right, performing internationally in the early 1900s and later becoming the first Black man inducted into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame. The rodeo bearing his name isn't a novelty act — it's a serious competitive circuit that also functions as one of the most direct, visible ways to correct a genuinely erased piece of American history in real time, in front of a live audience.

Planning Around the DC-Area Finals

The September 18-19, 2026 championship finals in the DC/Maryland/Virginia area are typically the tour's marquee event, drawing the strongest competitors from the season's earlier stops. If you can only catch one BPIR stop this year, the finals are the one to prioritize — higher stakes, a fuller field, and a genuine championship atmosphere.

Who This Event Is For

History buffs and culture-curious travelers wanting a genuinely different Black travel experience, rodeo and Western-culture fans looking for a Black-led alternative to mainstream rodeo, and families wanting an educational, visually spectacular day out.

BTN Insider Tips

Check the full 2026 tour schedule before booking — as a touring event, dates and cities shift year to year, and several early-season stops may already have passed by the time you're planning.

Prioritize the DC-area finals in September if you want the highest-stakes competition of the season.

Learn a bit about Bill Pickett himself before you go — knowing the history behind the name adds real depth to watching the competition live.

Plan Your Trip

Forty-two years of correcting the record on Black cowboy and cowgirl history, one rodeo stop at a time — check the tour schedule and catch a stop, ideally the DC-area finals, this year.

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