The Jackie Robinson of Rodeo
Five decades ago, Myrtis Dightman broke the color barrier in professional rodeo and became one of the best bull riders who ever lived. But his imprint on the sport was only just beginning.
Christian Wallace was a staff writer from West Texas. Before joining Texas Monthly as a fact-checker, in March 2016, Wallace worked as a roughneck, a ditch digger, an electrician, a record store clerk, and a radio DJ. He earned BAs in history and English from Texas State University in San Marcos and holds a master’s degree in writing from the University of Galway in Ireland.
In 2020, Wallace wrote and hosted the documentary podcast series Boomtown, about the Permian Basin’s historic oil boom and the bust that followed. The series has more than 4.8 million downloads. Wallace has been nominated for three National Magazine Awards. His September 2019 cover story on honky-tonks was a finalist in leisure interests; his 2020 collaboration with others on “All 144 Willie Nelson Albums, Ranked” was a finalist in digital storytelling; and his July 2021 cover story on Bass Reeves was a finalist in feature writing. His work has been optioned for several film and television projects, including the forthcoming Paramount series Land Man.
Wallace lives in San Marcos with his wife, Lauren Meckel, and their pup, Wyatt.
Five decades ago, Myrtis Dightman broke the color barrier in professional rodeo and became one of the best bull riders who ever lived. But his imprint on the sport was only just beginning.
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Five decades ago, Myrtis Dightman broke the color barrier in professional rodeo and became one of the best bull riders who ever lived. But his imprint on the sport was only just beginning.
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