I’m embarrassed to say that I had never heard of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo before last year. I have a friend who had photographed several of the participants, and she invited me to accompany her to the annual tour as it stopped in the Bay Area July 14-15. We arrived in Castro Valley a few hours before showtime, as women and men adroitly practiced steering, lassoing, bronco riding and bull riding. They commanded themselves, and their animals, with swagger and style. I was dazzled. What separated what I saw from what I was used to: All of the cowgirls and cowboys were black.

The rodeo was founded by Lu Vason in 1984 as a response to black cowboys being historically excluded from predominantly white rodeos around the country. Vason named the all-black traveling event after the legendary (and still largely unknown) cowboy Bill Pickett, who invented “bulldogging” (a rodeo move now known as “steering”) as a way to educate and entertain audiences about the role that the black cowboy played in American history. The carnival tours to sold-out venues around the country, yet remains mostly unknown to the general population.

The style and fashion I witnessed in the audience told me that people were ready to view cowboys in this light. I repeatedly heard from the contestants I spoke with that they had been on their horses since they were born. I saw children riding with their parents and grandparents.

Invitational Rodeo CEO Valeria Howard-Cunningham believes the event has left “an indelible footprint” during the past 35 years. “My hope is that we can continue the legacy by presenting a first-class African American rodeo and teaching future generations about black cowboys and cowgirls. Our history is rich; we celebrate four generations of black cowboys and cowgirls who have grown up in the BPIR and are now being groomed to take leadership roles.”

The mythology of the American cowboy evokes white men challenged by nature and persevering. That there is a company that is retaking ownership of the storytelling of what a cowboy looks like is important: At one point in American history, 1 in 4 cowboys was black. This history is generally unexplored. The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo aims to change that.

“It’s a traveling carnival. We’re a family here. We all know each others’ business and we’re from all over the country. And we know our horses.”

— Prince Damons

“The rodeo is a start and important to our history. The kids don’t know our history.”

— Sonia Robinson

“It’s more important than ever for all of us to set examples, create visions and provide opportunities for kids and young adults to understand the history and purpose of the rodeo.”

— Valeria Howard-Cunningham

“I’m giving her a horse pedicure. You can’t have one long nail and one short nail.”

— Eric Staton

“My horse just came from the beauty salon. Her name is Rihanna. Like the singer.”

— Virgil Robertson

“I met my wife at a Bill Pickett Rodeo in 2009, in the City of Industry (Los Angeles County). Ironically enough, we hit it off and created a young cowboy of our own. Ron Jr. started off in my arms as an infant riding in my arms around the property at home. By the age of 3, he was competing in rodeos riding sheep; by the age of 5, he started riding calves and steers (those are baby bulls that will eventually grow up to be professional rodeo, bucking bulls). He rode a steer where we met.”

— Ronald Hill Sr.

“I had these boots made in Tijuana. Five hundred bucks. That was cheap.”

— Leroy Patterson Jr.

“God, I loved it! It was absolutely amazing. Being surrounded by black cowboys and cowgirls was like a fresh breath of air. The highlight of the day was when I got a chance to talk to one of the cowgirl contestants. I was drawn to the way she talked, how she dressed. We talked about how she discovered her love for the rodeo.”

— Hawa Zabel

“My son is a bull rider. He’s 16 years old. He started here doing sheep and calf roping when he was 5. He’s been here every year since. I’m a proud mother.”

— Kristie Graham

“Here I am. An OG cowboy. I was the groom for Foolish Pleasure at the Kentucky Derby in 1975. I want people to know that I was there.”

— Robert Armstead

“I’ve been riding a long time.”

— Harold Williams Jr. (age 6)

Follow George McCalman on Instagram and Twitter at @mccalman.co.