Miscellaneous, Trophy, Bill Picket, Personal, Antique, 1910, 1360

A (literal) prized possession of a Western legend.
If you’re looking to own a cool conversation piece tied to Western lore, this is an incredible find. Hailing from legendary rodeo cowboy Bill Pickett’s own personal collection, this antique silver-plated trophy is dated 1910; it has a regal silhouette and a time-honored patina. It’s a one-of-a-kind find and is certain to awe anyone in the know.

PICKETT, WILLIAM (ca. 1870–1932). The originator of rodeo steer wrestling, or bulldogging, African American cowboy William "Bill" Pickett is believed to have been born December 5, 1870, in Travis County, Texas, about thirty miles north of Austin. He was one of thirteen children of Thomas Jefferson Pickett and Mary Virginia Elizabeth Gilbert Pickett. After completing a fifth-grade education, Bill Pickett went to work on a ranch. He soon learned to "bulldog" a steer by grasping it by the horns, twisting its neck, biting its nose or its upper lip, and making it fall on its side; this biting technique he had learned by observing how herder dogs controlled steers. Soon, he and his four brothers (B. W., J. J., C. H., and B. F.) established their own horse breaking business in Taylor, Texas. Pickett Brothers, Bronco Busters, and Rough Riders advertised "catching and taming wild cattle a speciality." Bill Pickett entered his first rodeo in 1888 at the fair in Taylor. By the early 1900s, he was a popular rodeo performer. In 1905, he joined the Miller Brothers 101 Ranch Wild West Show. Billed as the "Dusky Deamon" [sic], he performed with that outfit for more than a quarter-century. In 1907, he moved his family from Texas to the 101 Ranch, near Ponca City, and in the off-seasons he worked as a cowboy and also competed against white contestants in hundreds of rodeos around the West. To enter these events, Pickett was often identified as an Indian rather than an African American. His "bite-'em-down" technique of felling a steer evolved into steer wrestling, which remains one of rodeo's most important events. Bill Pickett also appeared in several motion pictures and is credited as the first Black cowboy star. Richard E. Norman Studios, an all-African American film production company of Jacksonville, Florida, featured Pickett in Crimson Skull (1921) and The Bull-Dogger (1922), both filmed in Oklahoma. Bill Pickett died April 2, 1932, of head injuries inflicted by a rogue horse at the 101 Ranch. He was buried on the ranch near the White Eagle Monument.

• artist: Derby Silver Co
• hallmarks: DERBY SILVER COMPANY 
• materials: silver plate
  
• dimensions: 9 1/2" x 7" x 4"
• vintage condition
• abrasions and surface wear commensurate with age
• silver is worn and oxidized
• bending and misshaping
• wear from use
• style: Misc1360