Featured photo: 6-year-old Kendell Henderson was born to rodeo parents. She and her horse did barrel racing in the adult category
Photos by L. M. Land
Written by L. M. Land with Jowanne Carrigan
The Black cowboy was an important part of the Old West, and one of few jobs available to Black men after slavery ended. This legacy lives on in today’s Black owned rodeos. For the 2024 Juneteenth Celebration, Mayor Sheldon Neeley and the City of Flint wanted you to be a part of this rich history. They partnered with the Midwest Invitational Rodeo (MWIR) to bring the thrill of the rodeo to the Genesee County Fairgrounds on June 7-8, 2024. Premier African American cowboys and cowgirls competed in barrel racing, steer wrestling, bull riding, horseback relay races and more. The fastest time wins the completion in most of the competitive categories.
Our local 4-H chapter were invited to participate in barrel racing, which is where the horse and rider race around barrels at top speed. The professional cowgirls also raced around barrels.
Bull riding is considered the most dangerous of the rodeo competitions; you can image why! The goal of bull riding is to stay on the bull for eight seconds without being thrown off. The bulls all won, as none of the contestants on Friday night were able to stay that long!
Professional rodeo clowns are a tradition in rodeo, and this one featured Ron “Iceman” Hunter. Hunter has worked in rodeo for over 40 years and is in the Black Cowboy Hall of Fame.
Food trucks, vendors and 4-H animal exhibitions were also on site, with a mechanical bull as well. This bull was much tamer than the real ones and had settings gentle enough for a child to ride.
For more information see: https://midwest-invitational.com
Read more about the history of the Black cowboy at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_cowboys
Some book titles about the history of the Black cowboy can be found here:
https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/nebraska/9781496226105/
