89-year-old known as 'Jackie Robinson of rodeo' still dreams of bull riding after Beyoncé honor

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- It was a quiet morning at Bruno's Triangle 7 Rodeo Arena in northeast Houston, but that all changed when 89-year-old retired bull rider Myrtis Dightman walked into the indoor hall.

Dightman is a legend in the professional rodeo world.

He was the first Black cowboy to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo and is known worldwide as the "Jackie Robinson of Rodeo."

Within minutes of meeting our ABC13 crew, it didn't take long for the crew to realize that even at almost 90 years old, bull riding is still on Dightman's mind. He jokingly mentioned that he was ready to ride bulls again and even questioned if the nearly 2,000-pound beasts were still ready for him.

Dightman started riding bulls at around 22 years old.

SEE ALSO: 21-year-old bull rider chases dream to ride in the Houston Rodeo despite his injury history

"I really wanted to do something not too many more Blacks were doing," he said. "I saw how the guy pulled a rope and things, and I said to myself, 'I can do that.'"

Dightman lives in Houston now, but he grew up in Crockett, Texas, during segregation. His parents were concerned about him traveling and competing then.

"My mother didn't want me to ride bulls because they figured the white folks aren't going to let you, and they're going to get you in trouble and all that, you know," Dightman said.

"I said, 'Well, hey, you don't know until you try,' and once I tried, white folks helped me out," Dightman told ABC13.

He said he received lots of help from white people as he traveled to compete.

"A lot of them helped me do it," he said. "A lot of places I couldn't go because I didn't have transportation to get where the rodeo was, so they'd take me."

He admits that he did endure some racism, but it never kept him off the bull. For 40 years, Dightman traveled the world competing.

"Canada, New York, I've been everywhere riding bulls," he said.

In 1964, Dightman was the first Black cowboy to qualify for the most prestigious rodeo competition, the National Finals Rodeo.

He retired in 1989, but just when Dightman thought he'd taken his last ride in an arena, Beyoncé called.

RELATED: Black cowboys remember fight for their spot at rodeo

In videos from Beyoncé's 2024 Christmas Day halftime show, Dightman can be seen riding shotgun in a white Cadillac - his ride just one car ahead of Beyoncé's white Cadillac. The superstar honored legendary Black cowboys and cowgirls at NRG Stadium.

"She (Beyoncé) didn't want to ride no bull, she wanted to ride in a Cadillac," he said, jokingly.

Dightman often reflects on his life and career.

"You know, I had a great life," he said. "I'm just another guy, and I ain't no better than nobody."

When it comes to his legacy, he told ABC13 that he just wants people to remember him as "just a bull rider."

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