Bill Pickett Rodeo to close Fort Worth season with Texas Connection championship

The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo will end its 2026 season at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth on Oct. 17 with the Texas Connection Buckle Series Championship. Two performances will crown top money winners, honor veterans and mark Breast Cancer and Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Why it matters: - The Fort Worth finale closes the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo’s 2026 season at Cowtown Coliseum with championship buckles on the line. - The event also ties Black Western heritage, community awareness efforts and veteran recognition into one marquee stop.

What happened: - The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo will hold the Texas Connection Buckle Series Championship on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth. - Performances are set for 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. - The event will recognize the series’ top money winners with championship buckles. - The rodeo is the nation’s only touring African American rodeo association.

The details: - The championship caps a yearlong Fort Worth residency that began in February. - The residency included four earlier Texas Connection Series dates and eight performances. - Competitors will have one final chance to improve their series standings before the top earners are honored. - Events include ranch bronc riding, ladies steer undecorating, breakaway roping, steer wrestling, tie down roping, team roping, barrel racing, relay racing and bull riding. - Youth events include junior breakaway roping, junior barrels and peewee barrels. - The Oct. 17 event will recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Domestic Violence Awareness Month. - The rodeo will honor survivors, remember those lost and encourage awareness, support and hope in the community. - During the 7:30 p.m. performance, Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo and True Vet Solutions will present a custom buckle to a veteran for service and sacrifice. - The 2026 season has been supported by Ariat, Crown Royal, YETI, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Upscale Media, Four Four Boot Company, Extreme equine and True Vet Solutions. - Additional partners include the BPIR Foundation, Black Beauty and Wellness Foundation and Anti-Violence Ventures. - Tickets and event information are available at BillPickettRodeo.com and AXS.com. - Cowtown Coliseum is at 121 East Exchange Avenue in Fort Worth, Texas.

Between the lines: - Valeria Howard Cunningham, president and CEO of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo, said Fort Worth has been an important part of the organization’s 42nd season. - Cunningham said the championship is a chance to celebrate competitors and families who supported the Texas Connection Series all year. - The Fort Worth finale doubles as a branding and legacy moment for an organization built around preserving Black cowboy and cowgirl history.

What’s next: - The Oct. 17 championship will determine who finishes at the top of the Texas Connection Series standings. - The event also serves as the final stop in the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo’s 2026 tour.

The bottom line: - The Fort Worth finale combines sport, heritage and community recognition into the season’s most important night for the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo.