Myrtis Dightman

Myrtis Dightman
Born (1935-05-07) May 7, 1935
Houston County, Texas, U.S.
Other names "Jackie Robinson of Rodeo"
Occupation Bull rider
Known for Rodeo
Spouse(s) Fannie Mae (div.)
Parent(s) Odie Dightman and Ada Lee Polk

Myrtis Dightman (born 1935) is an African-American bull rider. He is a ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductee.

Early life

Dightman was born in 1935 on a 4,000-acre ranch in Houston County near Crockett, Texas.[1] His father worked for rancher Karl Leediker.[1]

Career

Dightman started his career in rodeo in Houston.[1] In 1964, he became the first black cowboy to compete at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR). He qualified for the NFR in 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, and 1972.[2] In 1967, he had the best year-end finish of his career by placing third in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association[3] (PRCA) World Standings. In 1971, he won both the Calgary Stampede and Cheyenne Frontier Days.[2]

Dightman was hired to do stunts and play as himself in the rodeo movies J.W. Coop and Sam Peckinpah's Junior Bonner in 1971.[1][4]

Dightman was a big influence on Charles Sampson. In October 2006 a benefit concert featuring Michael Martin Murphey and Don Edwards was held to raise funds for a bronze statue in his honor. It was placed at the entrance of the Porth Ag Arena in Crockett, Texas. This rodeo arena hosts the annual Labor Day Rodeo that bears his name.[5][6][7]

Honors

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Wallace, Christian (July 2018). "The Jackie Robinson of Rodeo". Texas Monthly. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  2. 1 2 "The Jackie Robinson of Rodeo". Texas Monthly. 2018-06-22. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  3. ↑ "ProRodeo - Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association". www.prorodeo.com. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  4. ↑ "J W Coop (1971) Full Cast & Crew". IMDB. IMDB. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  5. ↑ "Myrtis Dightman Hall of Fame Rodeo". Rodeo USA. Rodeo USA. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  6. ↑ Boney, Jeffrey (June 1, 2016). "Texan Myrtis Dightman, Sr. Inducted into Bull Riding Hall of Fame". Houston Forward Times. Houston Forward Times. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  7. ↑ Wallace, Christian. "On the Enduring Legacy of the Black Cowboy". Amtrak The National. Ink. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  8. ↑ "Rodeo Hall of Fame Inductees". National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  9. ↑ "Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame: Past Inductees". www.texasrodeocowboy.com. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  10. ↑ "National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum and Hall of Fame - Dallas/Ft. Worth". www.cowboysofcolor.org. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  11. ↑ "Professional Bull Riders - Heroes & Legends: Myrtis Dightman". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  12. ↑ "Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame | Fort Worth Texas". texascowboyhalloffame.org. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  13. ↑ "Myrtis Dightman - Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame". Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  14. ↑ "The Bull Riding Hall of Fame Inductions 2016". The Bull Riding Hall of Fame. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.