Photos: Black rodeo brings boots and bulls to St. Louis

Cowboy hats and boots filled Chaifetz Arena as dirt flung through the air on the arena’s floor. Cheers roared from the stands as riders were thrown from bucking bulls, as others sped across the dirt on horseback.

The Southeastern Rodeo Association hosted its fifth Black Rodeo in St. Louis on Saturday for two shows featuring classic Western events, including bronc riding, steer wrestling and calf roping.

“St. Louis loves us and we love them,” said Walter Hull, the organization’s founder. “This is one of our biggest rodeos and that’s why we come back.”

SERA was founded 12 years ago with the goal to highlight the Black cowboy experience in major cities like St. Louis and Chicago — communities that don’t see much rodeo action.

Hull said the events have pulled in talent from across the country.

“A lot of people don’t know about Black cowboys,” he said. “I decided to just work the South, Southeast [and] Midwest … [to] start an organization to give Black cowboys an opportunity to travel a little bit and make a little bit of money on the side — and to also showcase their talent.”

A.D. Davis is an 18-year rodeo veteran who said the sport is rooted in human connection. He has traveled the country with friends and family and now he’s passing the tradition on to his daughter, who’s just beginning her journey into junior barrel racing.

Davis took first place in steer wrestling during the afternoon rodeo with a time of 20.52 seconds.

“It was probably one of the roughest steers I have run at a rodeo in my life,” he said. “But it paid off, so I mean, just never give up.”

See photos from the rodeo by St. Louis Public Radio’s Lylee Gibbs.