I grew up going to rodeos. Yes, this little black girl went to rodeos. They were all-Black  and held in Richmond and Rosenberg. Sometimes they had a little chittlin’ circuit show associated with them, but mostly, it was just lots of Black cowboys and cowgirls doing their thing.

Apparently, the lowest and highest caliber of Black Houstonian found their way to the ranch for dancing, rodeo-ing and drinking.Most people know about the Eldorado Ballroom, Club Savoy and Club Ebony. The Diamond L Ranch and Double Ranch Bar were similar entertainment venues.

Conrad Johnson, notable Black Houston icon even played there. Here his son talk about what kind of place it was, round the 4 minute mark. Stops at about 6 minutes.

Unfortunately, I never got to go to my great grandma’s rodeo on South Main in Southwest Houston.  It was called Diamond L Ranch and was not only an all-Black Competitive rodeo arena, but also a place where R&;B and blues stars played during the 50s through the 70s. Stars like: Big Mama Thornton, Lightin’ Hopkins,

I’ve written on this blog before about the Diamond L, but have only recently learned about the Sweenys, the original ranch owners. They also happen to be  my great grand parents.

The Diamond L was known for featuring female riders, like this woman, Verna Lee Hightower:

A little about Verna from the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum:

Verna Lee Hightower was born on June 26, 1930 in the small town of Spring, Texas to Arthur Booker and Alvirita Wells Booker (Little). Early on, she earned the nickname of “Boots” because of her love for horses and the outdoors but it was after she married her husband, Ted Hightower, that she began riding regularly and training horses.

Verna was a vibrant personality who trained tenaciously on the barrels both morning and nights and soon gained a reputation as a fearless rider, bedecked in her tailor-made cowgirl apparel, never slowing down when approaching the barrels.

In Houston, where she and Ted purchased their home, the Diamond L Ranch rodeo arena was where Black Cowboys  and Cowgirls came from around the United States to compete and where Verna first gained exposure for the excellent Cowgirl talent she displayed.  She was one of the Diamond L Ranch rodeo’s most competitive riders.  Verna and son, Gerald, showed two horses (Glamour and King) in the “Western Pleasure” event at the 1969 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in the Astrodome.  Both Verna and Gerald were recipients of prize ribbons for this event.  After more training from Verna, Gerald was able to show one of the family’s quarter horses in the American Quarter Horse Cutting Contest in which he received a ribbon in the Halter Class. It is “best known” that Verna’s family was the first African American family listed as “trainers” and “owners” of livestock shown in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.  It is another fact of historical significance that Verna was the first African American woman to participate in the Barrel Racing competition in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo during the years of 1969 and 1970, which was held at the Houston Astrodome in those years.

Verna’s husband Ted and my dad still talk. He was still living last I checked…I think I should call him.

Article about the closing of Diamond L:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JllRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hfsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4802%2C1862395