Grab your boots and tip your hats – the Texas Black Invitational Rodeo returns to South Dallas next weekend. Hosted annually at Fair Park, the rodeo celebrates the legacy of Black cowboys and cowgirls with a night of family-friendly fun and competition.
“It gives us a chance to remind Texans and the rest of the world that the Western front was blazed by African American horsemen and cowgirls who helped blaze the trails for the onward development of America,” said Margie Reese, interim executive director of the African American Museum in Dallas, which hosts the event each year.
The rodeo features professional Black riders from across the country competing for cash prizes in bronc and bull riding, calf and steer roping, barrel racing and a Pony Express relay race.
This year marks the 36th rodeo. Founder Harry Robinson Jr. launched the rodeo to help people of all ages understand the depth and diversity of Black history and its lasting contribution to American culture. Reese, who grew up with horses in Louisiana, sees the rodeo as a homecoming and powerful teaching tool.
“I think that now more than ever, young people want to see what we've talked about,” Reese said. “They want to learn and stand on the shoulders of those men and women who have blazed the trail for our own culture, but also for this country.”
The evening also features on-field kids’ activities, trick lasso performances, live music, concessions and more.
Details
7 p.m. July 26 at Fair Park Coliseum, 1438 Coliseum. $18. fairparkdallas.com
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