Bill Pickett, “the Dusky Demon,” was of Indian/Black descent, Texas-born and seemingly destined for the saddle.
At birth, he was just another cowboy.
By the time of his death, Pickett was the most famous black cowboy entertainer in American history.
The slightly-built man transformed himself from a homely ranch-lad into a performer who appeared in silent movies and in staged productions throughout the United Sates and England as a trick-roper, bull-rider and steer “rassler” with the Miller Brothers 101 Ranch and Wild West Show from Ponca City, Oklahoma.
Along the way, he created the sport of steer wrestling or bulldogging (see accompanying image), and set a standard for theatrical savvy and skill in the saddle that applies even to this day.