# @nationalcowboymuseum on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/C20qWYiJNoA
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/25851809-nationalcowboymuseum-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/2f996d8c7a.jpg
- **Posted:** 2024-02-01T23:11:22.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** National Cowboy Museum (@nationalcowboymuseum) — https://gondola.cc/nationalcowboymuseum

## Caption

Steer wrestling, or “bulldogging,” is unique among rodeo contests in that its origins can be traced backed to one man: Bill Pickett.

William “Bill” Pickett was born in Travis County, Texas in 1870. He and four of his brothers founded the ‘Pickett Brothers Bronco Busters and Rough Riders.’ Their specialty was taming wild cattle.

Pickett’s technique was to grab a steer by the horns, twist its head up and then bite its nose or upper lip; something he'd learned from watching herding dogs control steers. This technique would later be omitted from steer wrestling in favor of leverage and brute force.

Pickett competed in his first rodeo in 1888 and was quite popular by the early-twentieth century. He joined the Miller Brothers 101 Ranch and Wild West Show in 1905 and was involved there for over 25 years.

Pickett starred in several movies and is considered to be the first Black cowboy movie star. He appeared in "Crimson Skull (1921)" and "The Bull-Dogger (1923);" both of which were filmed in Oklahoma for the Richard E. Norman Studios from Jacksonville, Florida. 

Pickett was the first Black cowboy to be inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in 1972. His saddle is currently on exhibition in our American Rodeo Gallery. 

#WesternHistory #FindYourWest
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📸1: 1994.010.1954
📸2: 2001.036.012
📸3: 1994.010.0002
📸4: Bill Pickett's Saddle. 83.5.5

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 1,080
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 8

## Credits

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| National Cowboy Museum | @nationalcowboymuseum | https://gondola.cc/nationalcowboymuseum | Social Media Manager |
| Kaitlyn Weldon | @k.weldon5500 | https://gondola.cc/k.weldon5500 | Social Media Manager |

## Tags

westernhistory, findyourwest

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