Honoring Houston's African American Trail Riders

The Texas Gulf Coast is home to a rich, black cowboying tradition. The counties that surround Harris – especially Waller, Fort Bend, Brazoria and those further south along the Coastal Bend – are still home to thriving ranch communities. African-American cowboys helped build that culture and economy, and it is this legacy that spurred the creation of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo's black trail ride associations.

The Rodeo's first African-American trail ride group was the Prairie View Trail Ride, founded in 1957 by Jamie Francie, Jr. Due to its success, the organization outgrew its camp sites and meeting places, and Francie encouraged fellow trail rider Fred Gray to start a second group in the southwest part of town. Noting that Brazoria County had a strong agricultural economy, he recommended Gray focus his ride in that sector of the region. With that, the Southwestern Trail Ride Association was born.

While the Rodeo is usually the one event where most Houstonians see the trail riders, these clubs and associations are active year-round. Some of their events draw thousands of people. Camping, riding, socializing, celebrating with music and food create bonds among family and friends that are usually forged for life and over generations.

Southwestern, like most large trail ride associations, is made up of many different riding clubs drawn from around the region. They come out in greatest force, perhaps, in the days leading up to the Rodeo as part of the big rides converging into the city's center. Given the realities of riding on roads and highways that are often clogged with traffic, the ride into urban Houston is strictly organized.

All photos by Loriana Espinel, Pin Lim, and Sohil Maknojia