BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY : AFRICAN AMERICAN " CHARLES SAMPSON " HE IS THE FIRST BLACK COWBOY TO WIN A WORLD TITLE IN THE PRCA : GOES INTO THE " HALL OF BLACK GENIUS "

         BLACK      SOCIAL     HISTORY                                                                                                                                                                                        

Charles Sampson (bull rider)

BLACK                 SOCIAL              HISTORY

Charles "Charlie" Sampson (born July 2, 1957 in Los Angeles, California) is the 1982 World Champion bull rider.^[1] He is the first black cowboy to win a World Title in the PRCA.

Early life

Sampson was a ground breaking rodeo cowboy. Sampson stands 5ft 4in tall. He was the first Afro-American to win a world title in the PRCA.^[2] To avoid the violence that surrounded him as a boy, he took a job at a riding stables near Gardena, CA. There he sparked an interest in horses and rodeo. He was a fan of the Jackie Robinson of rodeoMyrtis Dightman.

Career

In 1983, there were only 6 black members of the PRCA. Charles was competing on a national level. Charlie very rarely mentioned race as an issue, even though he was competing in a sport dominated by white competitors. Charles once said in the New York Times, "I haven't encountered discrimination as much as ignorance. Some people still don't realize that something like a quarter of all the cowboys back in the old West were black." Although downplaying the race issue in his own career, Sampson has admitted that he saw the bull riding as a way to "ride" out of the ghetto. He also has spoken often to minority youngsters in inner city schools, telling them that positive thinking, goal setting, and hard work can help them achieve success in their lives. He always had the respect of his fellow World Champion bull riders including, Don Gay, Tuff Hedeman, Ted Nuce, and Ty Murray.

Injuries

He is known for his many injuries as well. Sampson's left calf has taken a bad beating over the years, and is now wired together by screws, 17 pins, and two metal plates. Recounting his various injuries as a bull rider in the New York Times Magazine, Sampson noted, "In 1983, a bull jerked me down and cracked my skull--I broke every bone in my face except my nose. I broke my ankle, my leg, my sternum, my wrist. In '88, I had an ear ripped off when a bull ran over me and his foot caught my hat." He now has a prosthesis for the missing ear in 1983 at the Presidential Command Performance he shattered his face in a riding accident in front of Ronald Reagan. His PRCA career lasted almost 20 years, with 11 NFR trips.

Wins & Awards

• World Champion bull rider, 1982^[1]
• Sierra Circuit bull riding champion, 1984^[3]
• Turquoise Circuit bull riding champion, 1985–86 and 1993.^[3]
• Copenhagen/Skoal bull riding champion, 1992
• Calgary Stampede $50,000 bonus round bull riding champion
• 2-time bull riding champion at Pendleton Round-Up
• 2-time Grand National Rodeo (Cow Palace) champion
• 2-time bull riding champion at California Rodeo (Salinas)
• 2-time winner of Del Rio George Paul Memorial bull-riding buckle
• Rodeo Superstars Championship
• Named to Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, 1996^[3]

Retirement

He was always a fan favorite, displaying his fearless riding style. He retired at the Dodge National Circuit Finals in Pocatello, ID, in 1994.^[3] He spent his retirement doing ads for companies like Wrangler Jeans and Timex. His ground-breaking efforts in rodeo did not go unnoticed. In the 1990s he was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.^[3