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May 5, 2025: Myrtis Dightman
Howdy folks, it’s the first week of May 2025 and welcome to This Week in The West.
I’m Seth Spillman, broadcasting from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.
On this podcast, we share stories of the people and events that shaped the history, art and culture of the American West—and those still shaping it today.
Myrtis Dightman stood outside the gate of the rodeo arena, hearing the competition happening in the distance. The security guard refused to let him in. There was no way, according to the guard, that a black man was a bull rider.
But Dightman was just that. He was a pioneering cowboy and one of the best bull riders of his day. On this episode, we share his story on the week of his birth, May 7, 1935.
It took another cowboy to convince the guard to let Dightman into the Little Rock, Arkansas, arena. Dightman had missed his go, but rodeo secretary June Ivory managed to get his bull back in the pen. Dightman had a ride that night.
He finished second.
Dightman is often called the “Jackie Robinson” of bull riding. He’s earned a spot in the National Rodeo Hall of Fame and the PBR Ring of Honor, both housed here at The Cowboy.
Born in Crockett, Myrtis Dightman was raised on a 4,000-acre ranch where his father worked. As a young man, Dightman worked there too but saw an opportunity in the rodeo.
Not as a competitor, though, but as a bullfighter, better known back then as a rodeo clown.
If you follow rodeo, you know that a bullfighter’s job is often the most dangerous in the arena. But during those years in the mid-20th century, that was one of the few opportunities for a black cowboy.
During this time, Dightman began to develop an interest in bull riding. Encouraged by fellow cowboys, he decided to test his skills in the chutes. He earned his Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) card in 1957, allowing him to compete in sanctioned events. However, gaining entry to major rodeos was still a challenge, as discrimination often barred Black cowboys from participating.
Despite these obstacles, Dightman made history in 1964, becoming the first Black cowboy to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo.
He would go on to qualify for the NFR six more times between 1966 and 1972, missing only one year. His best finishes came in 1967 and 1968, when he placed third in the world standings, cementing his reputation as one of the sport’s top bull riders.
In an interview with the PBR website, rodeo legend Larry Mahan, a close friend of Dightman, said he was one of the all-time greats: “Myrtis was the first Black bull rider that ever brought that level of ability to the table to where he could go out there and compete and be a potential World Champion. He probably could have and should have won a championship.”
Dightman did win titles at two of the top rodeo events in the world – the Cheyenne Frontier Days and the Calgary Stampede.
Dightman’s presence in the rodeo circuit inspired other Black cowboys, including Charlie Sampson, who would later become the first Black bull rider to win a world championship in 1982.
Recalling his time mentoring Sampson, Dightman told Oprah Daily dot com: “Charlie Sampson was still in school when he saw me [at a rodeo] one day and said, “Mr. Dightman, I sure want to ride bulls.” I said, “If you graduate, come back, and I’ll help you.” When he was done with high school, we traveled for about two years. We’d fly together; we’d catch the bus together; we’d drive together to whatever rodeo he wanted to go to until I got him riding real good. It made me feel good just knowing somebody I was helping that could do something.”
In addition to his competitive achievements, Dightman made his mark in Hollywood. He appeared as himself in the rodeo films J.W. Coop (1972) and Junior Bonner (1971).
In his hometown of Crockett, Dightman’s legacy is permanent. A bronze statue of him stands at the entrance of the Porth Agricultural Arena, and an annual Labor Day Rodeo held in his honor continues to celebrate his contributions to the sport and inspire future generations of Black cowboys.
Dightman still lives in Houston, Texas. This week, he celebrates his 90th Birthday.
And with that, we’ve finished our ride on another episode of “This Week in The West.”
Our show is produced and written by Mike Koehler.
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We leave you today with the words of Mytris Dightman himself: “So many people are scared of bulls and the most important thing is don’t be scared of them—if you’re scared of them, you already messed up. And most of these city slickers don’t want to mess with bulls. They tell me, “I can’t do it.” But how do you know? You can’t do it until you try.”
Much obliged for listening, and remember, come Find Your West at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
