(PCM+) The Indomitable Bill Pickett
Story by Jim Fulbright | Contributing Writer
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The Original Bulldogger: Discover how a 145-pound Texas ranch hand invented steer wrestling and became a global rodeo superstar.
A Legend of Grit: From facing a savage bull in a 38-minute showdown in Mexico City to starring in early silent films.
History You Can Touch: Learn about the upcoming 101 Ranch sale, “Western and Antique Show,” this Saturday in Blackwell, where you can see his legacy in person.
Almost every Texas country boy who grew up in the 1800s dreamed of becoming a cowboy, but only a few became world-renowned rodeo stars. Bill Pickett clearly defied the odds.
William M. Pickett was born on Dec. 5, 1870, in the Jenks-Branch community of Williamson County, Texas. His parents, former slaves Thomas Jefferson Pickett and Mary “Janie” Gilbert, raised 13 children, and Will, the second-oldest, attended school only briefly before becoming a ranch hand to help support his family.
