Before Houston smells the barbecue smoke at NRG Park. Before the carnival lights flicker on.
Before the first bull bucks. They’re already riding.
Across the backroads of Waller County, through the fields of Brazoria, along highways that stretch toward the city skyline, African American trail riders have spent the last two weeks making their way to Houston.
For 74 years, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s official trail rides have been a prelude to the city’s biggest event. But for nearly seven decades, Black trail ride associations like the Prairie View Trail Ride and the Southwestern Trail Ride Association have been doing something even deeper: Preserving a legacy rooted in land, labor, freedom, and pride. Trail riding clubs across Texas ride long distances into Houston each year ahead of the rodeo, often camping along the way, symbolizing endurance, freedom, and pride in Black Western heritage.
And within that history is another story, one deeply rooted in Black cowboy culture and Southeast Texas’ agricultural legacy.
“When people think about cowboys, they often don’t think about African Americans. Blacks played a real role in moving cattle from city to city, state to state, town to town.”
James Dixon
“When people think about cowboys, they often don’t think about African Americans. Blacks played a real role in moving cattle from city to city, state to state, town to town,” said Bishop James Dixon, member of Walking Horse Wagon and True Western Trail Rides, the newest trail riders.
Long before many Houstonians ever saw a trail rider downtown, African American cowboys were helping build the ranching economy across counties surrounding Harris County, including Waller, Fort Bend, and Brazoria. Along the Coastal Bend, Black ranching communities thrived, shaping cattle work, land stewardship, and horsemanship traditions that still endure.
It is that legacy that spurred the creation of Houston’s first Black trail ride associations.
A tradition born from legacy
The rodeo’s first African American trail ride group, the Prairie View Trail Ride, was founded in 1957 by Jamie Francie Jr., just five years after the first official rodeo ride. The organization quickly grew, reflecting both the demand and the pride within the Black ranching community.
As the Prairie View Trail Ride expanded beyond its original campsites and meeting spaces, Francie encouraged fellow rider Fred Gray to establish a second association in southwest Houston. Recognizing Brazoria County’s strong agricultural base, Francie suggested Gray focus the ride in that region.
From that vision, the Southwestern Trail Ride Association was born.
“Trail riding is family,” said Rosetta Gray, president of the Southwestern Trailriders Association. “It’s about honoring where we come from.
Today, Southwestern, like many large associations, is composed of numerous riding clubs from across the region. Families, churches, and longtime friends form clubs that ride together year after year, often across generations.
“I’m so proud we were able to show them what a true Western tradition looks like. This is legacy! This is history in the making,” said Gray.
“We want to get more youth involved. Show them the way our people used to travel to get around. That way we can keep the tradition alive,” said Charles Parks, the trail boss of the True Western Trail Riders.
While the rodeo parade may be the most visible moment for many Houstonians, these organizations are active year-round. Their events, from campouts to fundraising trail rides, draw thousands of attendees. Music, food, fellowship, and horsemanship create bonds that stretch across decades.
More than pageantry
More than 2,000 riders and 102 wagons representing 12 official trail rides cover more than 1,300 miles en route to Houston. The journey requires planning and coordination, especially as riders navigate modern roadways and urban traffic.
Given the realities of highways often clogged with cars, the ride into the city is strictly organized. Law enforcement escorts, designated routes, and scheduled arrivals ensure safety as riders ride into the city.
But for participants, the ride is not just logistical. It is symbolic.
For generations of African American Texans, horseback riding represented both livelihood and liberation. After emancipation, many formerly enslaved Black men became cowboys, making up an estimated one-quarter of cowboys in the American West. They drove cattle, broke horses, and helped build Texas’ ranching infrastructure, even as their stories were largely erased from popular Western imagery.
Trail riding reconnects families to that history.
“When we ride into Houston, we’re riding for our grandparents and great-grandparents,” said True Western Trail Boss Charles Hollis, who now rides alongside children and grandchildren. “We’re keeping that story alive.”
A living cultural engine
Beyond heritage, Black trail ride associations serve as economic and cultural engines for Southeast Texas.
Black-owned vendors often travel with the rides, selling food, Western wear, boots, custom hats, and trail ride merchandise. Local communities along the routes benefit from increased traffic, campground fees, and patronage at nearby businesses.
More importantly, trail rides create a space of ownership and visibility.
In a tradition often visually associated with white Western imagery, African American riders carve space through presence, not as guests, but as culture bearers.
For first-time riders, the experience can be transformative.
“You don’t really understand it until you’re on the trail,” said Hoss. “It’s not just a ride. It’s pride.”
Honoring the riders
The rodeo, which officially opened March 2 at NRG Park, has historically recognized that the trail rides are a huge precursor to the monthlong event.
- Prairie View Trail Riders Association (PVTRA): Led by trailblazer Myrtis Dightman Jr., this group covers 80+ miles from Hempstead to Houston’s Memorial Park, marking one of the oldest Black trail rides.
- Southwest Trail Riders Association: Founded in 1993, this group starts in Rosenberg and highlights the contributions of Black cowboys and cowgirls.
- Northeastern Trail Ride: Led by Anthony Bruno, this group highlights Black cowboy history that has been overlooked in mainstream narratives.
- Sugar Shack Trailblazers: A notable group, active since 1981, that is part of the broader Houston-area community-driven, cultural, and social gatherings.
- Non-Stop Riderz: A group that combines the tradition with social action, such as participating in local protests.
Sidebar: Trail Ride by the Numbers
- 74th year of official Houston rodeo trail rides
- 12 official trails
- More than 2,000 riders
- 102 wagons
- 1,300+ miles traveled
- Converge at Memorial Park before Feb. 28 parade
- Rodeo opens March 2 at NRG Park
