RODEO...Say What???

I apologize in advance.  I am never this long winded on my blog, but I simply must tell you all about our recent trip to the rodeo.  

As many of you know, we recently sold our home in Arizona.  Dick and I both love the southwest, so much, but selling the house was the smart thing to do with all that is going on out there now in the housing market.

It's been 8 months since we've seen a cactus - I mean a real cactus - and I was missing the cowboys, so Dick and I decided to go to the COWTOWN RODEO in Woodstown,NJ just over the Delaware Memorial Bridge.  It's only 20 minutes from our house, and it happens every Saturday night through the summer.  How could I not remember this?  We used to take our boys there when they were young.  My intentions were to take some really great rodeo shots for an end of the year project for my photo club.  

Cowtown graciously offered me a media pass to photograph the event.  And I began to research how to shoot a rodeo.  I was at a real disadvantage with my equipment, but I decided to go out and buy a monopod and go catch what I could.  Let me tell you, we just loved the rodeo and will probably go back again and again.

The people were just terrific.  Cowboys are the friendliest people on earth.  And the staff at the rodeo from the owners, Betsy and Grant Harris,  (Cowtown has been in the hands of the Harris family since 1929) down to the security officers, were just the tops.  

It was explained to us that there was another rodeo in Cape Cod (if you can imagine a rodeo on Cape Cod), and that the rodeo events were a little light because of that.  But you sure couldn't tell it from the attendance.  I believe the stadium seats 4,000 and they were also standing all around the top of the stadium.  I've never seen so many well behaved people in one spot before.   Not like an Eagles game, or a Phillies game, sad to say.  We've had to stop taking our younger kids there because of the language and drinking.  This was totally different, a family friendly event.  Cowboys are gentlemen.  One of them even offered me his seat in the crowded office when I went in for the media pass.  When was the last time that happened to you?

After getting our pass we had time to kill, so we wandered around the grounds shooting horses and bulls and talking to some of the cowboys.  We found out that at 6:30 the cowboys go to church ( a lean-to next to the office with benches and a pulpit and a sign "Kids Ropin' for Jesus" on the side.  I guess if you're about to get your head pounded into the ground, it's a good idea to speak to the Lord first.  This was really impressive.  Makes me just love cowboys more.

There was real food, not just hot dogs.  And a few concession stands.  A beautiful Brahman  bull named Popcorn ( the absolute biggest bull I've ever seen) that you could sit on for a photo (even adults).  He was so easy going and stood there for hours, very calmly).  Cowtown Outfitters had a stand with hats and cowboy gear, and their store up the road from the rodeo stayed open until, I believe, 11:00 pm for the rodeo crowd.

Cowtown has a rodeo clown named Starvin' Marvin Nash who they have flown in every week from Wyoming for years.  He's quite a comic and quite a man.  He and his clown mates (I think there were 3 others) were all very good at keeping the cowboys out of trouble, distracting the bull until the cowboy was safely out of the stadium.  This is a very serious job and they seemed to handle it with ease.  You tend to forget how important their role is.  

Now, as I said, Starvin' Marvin is quite a guy.  I caught a segment on him on TV not too long ago.  He rolled a rodeo barrel a great distance (just can't remember how far, but hundreds, maybe even thousands of miles across the US recently visiting schools and talking to kids about bullying.  I believe he came to Philadelphia or Jersey, maybe both.  There was a concession stand selling his tee shirts campaigning against bullying.  Extra points from me, Marvin.  Rodeo folks are good people.  You're really missing out if you don't try it.  

So get yourself out there to the rodeo in Cowtown, buy yourself a program which explains all the events, and you will really have a great time.  These people take this so seriously.  It is a very dangerous sport.  But it is entertaining and a great night for your family.  I think it's $15 for Adults and $10 for children12 and under, under 2 yrs. is free admission.  Check out their website at http://www.cowtownrodeo.com. 

If any of your photographers out there want a challenge, go shoot a rodeo.  They have an official photographer, Eva L. Scofield (photoeva.com) who actually gets out in the ring with the bulls and riders.  Boy, is she to be commended.  I really think they should give her a raise.  Shooting the rodeo is the hardest shoot I've ever done.  But I enjoyed it so much.  And so will you.  The cowboy spirit is infective.  Yee-Haw!

So open up your itunes and put on Garth Brooks' "Rodeo" and sit back and check out the photos.

Cowboy Church

Kids Ropin' for Jesus

Loved this brand.  

Wish I'd asked what it was.  I'll find out next time.

And yes, this is a real horse's a$$.

ZAMBONI

Cowtown's answer to the Zambomi.  

This woman (sorry, can't remember her name) 

 and if you look carefully, a small child sitting beside her, 

smoothed the sand out before the event.  These draft horses 

were huge and in just beautiful condition.  Drafts are my favorite horses. 

 They work so hard, but the are always just beautiful.  

I love horses. 

I'd love to go somewhere and shoot them sometime, 

but I don't even know anyone who has a horse.

How sad is that?

There are some really interesting ways to shoot a horse 

using a camera, of course.

We watched this guy for awhile.  He was a riot.  He would watch us,

 then pick up his water bucket and throw water all over his trailer.  

The cowboy said he did it 24 hours a day in his stall.  It's funny how 

horses fixate on a behavior.  

Years ago my friend had a horse named Six Pack 

(because that's what they drank while he was being born) 

who sucked on the rail of his stall all day just like a pacifier.

Popcorn

This guy was huge.  I didn't even come up to the top of his head.

OK!  Ok!  

So there really isn't any beach at Cowtown, but this was a really 

boring picture until I added the sunset.  Lots of telephone poles, wires,  etc.

Sometimes you just have to use your artistic license. 

Up close and personal to the draft horse.    

I think the reflection in his eye is me.

Starvin' Marvin Nash

Way too much blur to be any good, 

so I Photoshopped (a new verb) it until I was a little happy with it. 

 Looks kind of like a painting?

Oops!!

This guy meant business!  

It wasn't until half way through the bull riding that I realized 

I had on a reddish color shirt.

Hope that's a wives' tale.

Barrel Racer

(Photoshopped for blur)

These ladies take this very seriously.  I ran into an old friend 

whose daughter-in-law was at Lexington, KY for the rodeo there this weekend. 

 So far she has won a saddle, a belt buckle and $700, with more 

weekend events to come.

It's not tennis, but it's still serious money.

The Crowd

Hats off to Eva Scofield!!

photoeva.com

Visit her website for a REAL rodeo treat.

Thank you, Cowtown.  You guys and gals are the best!!