Black cowboys played a major role in the frontier, but their stories in the Old West have been largely hidden.KOCO 5 explored the resurgence of cowboy culture and why some said its history is Black history. Beyonce, Jordan Peele and Pharrell Williams are a part of pop culture that is tipping its hat to the Old West and those who ran it.| MORE | OKC Black Restaurant Bingo to help local businesses, celebrate Black History Month"Exposure is great actually. It's helping get us out that man Black cowboys really do this. It's an everyday lifestyle," said Darian Bogus, an Oklahoma Cowboy.They race, rope and ride for their community."You know that's just kind of how we are, as a culture out here. We grew up riding horses up and down the street," said Jalen Pugh, an Oklahoma Cowboy.Oklahoma Cowboys are stacked with talent and people have picked up on it. Just last month, three locals were on the runway in Paris for Louis Vuitton for a collection paying tribute to the first cowboy.Inside the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Michael Grauer, the collection curator, showed KOCO 5 the rope and boots of Murdis Dietchman and the saddle belonging to Bill Pickett."If we tell the true story of who the cowboys were, they were mostly cowboys of color," Grauer said.| MORE | Oklahoma History Center highlights most important moments of Black history in stateWendell Hearn spoke about another legendary rider of color: his father from Seminole."Well, when I hear cowboy I immediately think of my dad Cleo Hearn," Hearn said.Historians estimated that during the 1800s, one in four cowboys were Black. Many, like Cleo in the '50s, faced discrimination when trying to enter the rodeo arena."It was either going to be they wanted to see him do good or they wanted to see him do bad. He said it was probably more on the do bad, than it was doing good," Hearn said.Cleo is now in the National Rodeo Hall of Fame after overcoming the odds. He was the first African American to attend college on a rodeo scholarship.In 1971, he created the Cowboys of Color Rodeo to help Black riders go professional.| MORE | 'Who we are': Event showcases Black art at Metro Tech OKC"He wanted to keep the story going it's still going and it's improving and there's more and more competing at the top level," Hearn said.These pioneers ensured whether it's for sport or for fun, that cowboys and cowgirls who look like them will always feel at home on the range."Man, I love it I love it. I love seeing this next generation of us riding," Bogus said.Top Headlines'My son almost died': Treat family speaks out after crash nearly cost 16-year-old his life'It sounded like a bomb': Florida woman talks about car dropping from overpass onto her SUVOklahoma company has learning experience after reroofing wrong housePolice identify woman who allegedly smashed plates over OKC restaurant's 'endless shrimp' policy