At age 11, Kortnee Solomon is already a pro on the rodeo trail, having won numerous championships in recent years. As a fourth-generation Texas cowgirl, riding and roping is in Kortnee’s blood – she officially debuted at just 5 years old at the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo, the oldest Black-owned rodeo circuit in the United States. The daughter of 11-time invitational champion Kanesha Jackson and Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association tie-down roper Cory Solomon, Kortnee loves to compete, never backing down from the opportunity to test her mettle against women twice her age and male athletes.
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With coronavirus pandemic restrictions lifting, the invitational is back in full swing, kicking off the season with a historic event in celebration of Juneteenth. The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo Showdown in Vegas aired on CBS, becoming the first Black rodeo to air on national broadcast television. Produced in partnership with the Professional Bull Riders, the rodeo featured seven events, including bareback, bulldogging and calf roping. Kortnee competes in the ladies barrel and junior breakaway events.
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For Kortnee, the road to Las Vegas required a combination of dedication, perseverance and good times, for Black rodeo is about more than just the mastery of sport, it is an ongoing celebration of community, culture and heritage. One of Kortnee’s most cherished memories from the Vegas trip was seeing her friends for the first time since January 2020, the last time the invitational convened. “I got and gave lots of hugs,” she said happily.
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Photographer Ivan McClellan, who has been documenting Black cowboys and cowgirls since 2015, gives us a look at Kortnee’s extraordinary life made possible by love and support, alongside a group of athletes who cannot and will not be denied.
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