The gate flew open and Savannah Roberts took off. Perched on her horse, Short Shank, Savannah could hear the roar of the crowd. The 12-year-old and her horse raced at top speed, whipping around barrels.

No other rider could match her speed. Savannah, the youngest person in the competition, won the barrel racing event at the Bill Pickett Championship Rodeo last September. The rodeo celebrates and honors African American cowboys and cowgirls.

“Winning at this rodeo made me feel really special and proud,” says Savannah.

A Tough Job

A New Life

While books and movies often show only white cowboys, about one out of every four cowboys were Black. Many had once been enslaved but were freed after the Civil War ended in 1865. Black cowboys faced discrimination from ranchers and fellow cowboys. They were often given the hardest jobs, like breaking in horses or crossing the deepest parts of streams during cattle drives.

“Black cowboys faced racism because some white cowboys didn’t want them on their ranches,” says Searles.

Still, many of these men saw working on the trails as a chance at a new life.

Honoring the Past

By the 1880s, barbed wire fences made it easier to control cattle. Fewer cowboys were needed, but a new era was beginning. Cowboys started showing off their skills in events called rodeos. They’d ride horses, perform tricks, and rope steers.

Bill Pickett was one of the first—and most famous—rodeo stars. Today, the Bill Pickett Rodeo keeps the history of Black cowboys alive. It reminds people how important Pickett and other Black cowboys were in shaping our country. Savannah honors the cowboy tradition by inspiring the next generation of cowboys and cowgirls.

“I love encouraging other kids and showing them it’s possible to do what I do,” she says.