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A Staten Island woman has a well-worn saddle with the name “Bill Pickett” burned into it. She believes it was once owned by legendary cowboy Bill Pickett, an African-American Wild West Show and film star.
Pickett invented bulldogging, the rodeo event now known as steer wrestling. His back story is perhaps most intriguing: born to slave parents, Pickett rose to entertain kings and dignitaries on an international tour of his Wild West show, and he counted among his friends Will Rogers and Tom Mix.
History Detectives visits the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, meets a real-life steer wrestler and talks with a 101 Ranch historian about the legacy of the legendary “Bulldogger”.
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