DENVER — The National Western Stock Show (NWSS) will no longer partner with the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo (BPIR) for the annual MLK Jr. African American Heritage Rodeo of Champions; instead, the NWSS announced it will move forward with a new event partner.
For nearly two decades, BPIR has produced the MLK African American Heritage Rodeo of Champions with NWSS, a partnership that is now ending as NWSS moves forward with a new event partner.
The change comes after both organizations, in a news release, said they had agreed to part ways for the upcoming season due to scheduling constraints that could not be reconciled.
Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo CEO Valeria Howard-Cunningham posted on social media clarifying the situation, writing in part:
“The National Western Stock Show made the decision that they would no longer accommodate BPIR’s growth by allowing us to hold our Monday morning slack, as we had successfully done for the past seven years. Instead, they proposed a limited-format show for Monday night only.”
Slack is a time outside of the main rodeo performance when contestants compete.
The National Western Stock Show said it will continue the tradition of hosting the MLK Jr. African American Heritage Rodeo in 2026 with a new production partner, Black Rodeo USA (BRUSA).
The MLK Jr. African American Heritage Rodeo was originally established in 2006 by BPIR founder Lu Vason in collaboration with the National Western Stock Show to commemorate the NWSS’s 100th anniversary.
The NWSS and BPIRT said the MLK Jr. African American Heritage Rodeo of Champions has brought together exceptional African American cowboys and cowgirls to honor the life and legacy of Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. and celebrate their enduring contributions to the Western way of life.
The 2026 MLK Jr. African American Heritage Rodeo is taking place Monday, Jan. 19 at 6 p.m. inside the Denver Coliseum as part of the National Western Stock Show.
