CONYERS, GA. – The cowboy watched as his son struggled to get on the horse. One try, two tries, and on the third attempt, the small boy, possibly seven years old, finally made it onto the horse. The entire time professional rodeo athlete Davenger Griffin watched his youngest child work to get on the horse, he never attempted to help him. After all, he taught him how to do it properly: left foot into the stirrup, lift with your legs, pull yourself up, get comfortable in the saddle. The boy and his dad wore matching purple cowboy shirts. The lessons of the father were passed on to the son, and also a daughter who rides horses and performs in rodeos.
Griffin, a resident of Natchez, Mississippi, performs all over the country and makes sure to bring his children when he can. He told The Atlanta Voice that is something he enjoys for many reasons.
“It’s a blessing,” he said while wiping sweat from his bro following his first calf-roping attempt of the day. “It’s a blessing from God to be able to love a sport and be able to pass it on to them.”
The entire time Griffin spoke to the reporter, his son watched his every move. “Im trying to show them how to win,” Griffin said.
The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo made its way to Georgia for a stop on a long tour across the country. On Saturday, April 18, the stands at the Charles C. Walker Arena at the Georgia International Horse Park was full of Black people in cowboy hats, wearing cutoff denim shorts, and jeans with cowboy boots. A man made his way to a seat in the stands wearing a t-shirt with the slogan, “Black Cowboys and Cowgirls are Real.”
The rodeo is celebrating its 42nd year in business and will be in Oakland and Los Angeles, California, before returning to Conyers for two shows on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 1 and 2.
Along with the calf-roping, more officially described as tie-down roping, there was a bull riding competition that involved riders from as far away as Hope, Arkansas, and Houston, Texas. Competitors from Atlanta, like McGill Willis, also put their best foot forward. Other performers were from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Chicago, Illinois, and cities in Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi.
The level of athleticism needed to perform this sport on a professional level is high. Case in point, two of the tie-down ropers were previously college basketball and football players. And the junior and peewee barrel racing competition featured seven-year-olds. They brought the crowd to its feet every time they completed the course at breakneck speeds.
During the first show of the day, there were noon and 7:30 p.m. shows on Saturday, vendors sold t-shirts, Western-themed chokers, cowboy hats, and food like deep-fried Oreos, Italian ices, and smoked meats. The line outside of the cigar truck stretched across the dirt path.
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