Scottsdale Rodeo 10 March 2024

The Scottsdale Rodeo Sunday edition came as it did the last several years from Westworld, an indoor arena.   If you have ever been to a rodeo, you know there is a lot of pageantry, especially at the start.

Kiana Martinez

Country music recording artist Kiana Martinez sang some original tunes, then sang the National Anthem to get things started.   

And the American flags.

 

And here comes the horse stock!

Eight seconds seems easy but hard to do.

My two favorite events are barrel racings and bull riding and they are traditionally at the end of the rodeo.   

Barrel racing shows off the skills of the lady cowboys.   It's timed, and it costs 5 seconds if they knock over a barrel.   

Bull riding scores are more a judgment.  50% on the skills of the cowboy.  50% on the athleticism of the bull.

Until My Next Adventure,

See you on down the road,

Jim Patterson

For images from the Scottsdale Rodeo, click HERE

Legends Rough Stock Series in Cave Creek 24 March 2024

Riders line up to be introduced

The first stop on the Legends Rough Stock Series was Cave Creek Arizona at the memorial arena on 24 February 2024.  "Legends" as in older cowboys, usually 40+ who have won some during their careers.

Even the fans look authentic

This wasn't a complete rodeo.   The focus here was on the big animals... horses and bulls.   

I've photographed many times at the Cave Creek arena.  I usually sit on the top row and capture images with my Canon EOS R6 Mark II and Canon RF 100-400mm lens.

This is a dangerous sport!

Until My Next Adventure,

See you on down the road,

Jim Patterson

For images from the Legends Rough Stock Series in Cave Creek, click HERE

Cave Creek Rodeo: 27 March 2022 and 26 March 2023

Certainly my favorite rodeo is the one closest to where I live:  The Cave Creek Rodeo.   Another "must see" around the Phoenix area is the Cave Creek Rodeo parade.  I'll post more on that with photos in another blog entry.

One of the crowd favorite events is bull riding.   Riders have to ride for at least 8 seconds or it's a no ride.   Scores come 50% from the cowboy and 50% from the bull.  

Cave Creek is an hour or so east of Wickenburg, the self proclaimed "team roping capital of the world."   Certainly some team ropers come from Wickenburg, but really from all over the USA and Canada.

My second favorite event is barrel racing.  Here, ladies of rodeo take center stage.   Knock over a barrel, and add a five second penalty to the final score.  The idea is to get around three barrels and then race to the finish line.   It's electronic timing.  Passing through the beam starts the clock; passing through the exit stops the clock.

Until My Next Adventure,

See you on down the road,

Jim Patterson

All images from 27 March 2022 HERE

All images from 26 March 2023 HERE

Friday Night at the Buffalo Chip in Cave Creek

Friday night and Cave Creek, especially the Buffalo Chip, is OPEN!   

It's time to enjoy some bull riding with hundreds of my closest unmasked friends.

Sadly, the "Chip" sold out of VIP tickets, but I hear that is common.   So a bunch of us sat in the bleachers.   Still saw some find action.   

The photo on the right:  a little cowboy pulling up his britches like the big cowboys.  

Until My Next Adventure,

See you on down the road,

Jim Patterson

Click the photo below to see all the images from the bull riding at the Buffalo Chip in Cave Creek, Arizona…

Bull Riding at the Buffalo Chip 10 March 2021

The Buffalo Chip in Cave Creek Arizona has opened up bull riding again but just on Wednesday nights.   It was a lovely night 10 March to enjoy bull riding and the company of others wanting a good time, too.   And I've found the best perch for me is the VIP section.

Of course, the sport of bull riding and all the participants and fans are patriotic, so it did not begin until the flag and national anthem were played, as it should be.

Although there were quite a number of riders, not one went the mandatory eight seconds.  

To the left is my favorite image of the night.  That will tell you how close we were to the action in the VIP section.  

Bull riding is a dangerous sport.  Although I think the cowboy hat looks nice, the helmet helps protect a rider's head better.

Until My Next Adventure,

See you on down the road,

Jim Patterson

Click the photo below to see all the images from the Buffalo Chip's Bull riding....

Cave Creek Rodeo Sunday 25 March 2018

 One of the finest small PRCA sanctioned rodeos in North America is the Cave Creek Rodeo in Arizona.  I was again there taking photos, this time from the Stockman's Club.

This rodeo might be the most fan friendly and camera friendly rodeo in all of North America.  Sadly, so many of the rodeos and other events as well are limiting "professional" cameras, or cameras that have detachable lenses.  I think they want to stop people from bringing in oversized 150-160mm lenses that looks more like weapons.  I still don't like it.  And the other trend is to require clear plastic bags.  I have no idea how much longer the Cave Creek Rodeo will be so fan and photographer friendly, but I'm enjoying it while it lasts. 

Rodeos have bareback riding, roping, clowns, barrel racing, and of course the headliner is always bull riding.  Eight seconds of hell, if a cowboy lasts that long.  My second favorite event is the ladies barrel racing. 

Until My Next Adventure,

See You On Down the Road!

Jim Patterson

… and all the photos!

Cave Creek Rodeo 2 April 2017

I photographed the Cave Creek Rodeo finals on Sunday 2 April.  This made it seven years in a row I photographed this wonderful PRCA Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association sanctioned event. 

The Cervi people provided the four legged stock athletes (animals).   The two legged cowboy and cowgirl athletes were the other half of the event.

I really respect this sport and the athletes.  It’s dangerous and these folks have to do well in these events to make a living.  If a cowboy or cowgirl gets a penalty or no score, they are out and must go to the next rodeo for another try.

Country artist super star Garth Brooks put it best in his hit “Rodeo” about how really hard this sport and life are!  Part of the lyrics goes like this,

Well it’s bulls and blood
It’s dust and mud
It's the roar of a Sunday crowd
It's the white in his knuckles
The gold in the buckle
He'll win the next go 'round

Take a good look at how these cowboys and cowgirls “bring it” in the finals.  By the way, rodeo clown Justin “Rumpshaker” Rumford was funny too!

Until My Next Adventure, 

(Country Thunder) 

See You On Down the Road!

Jim Patterson

Photos from Flickr ... and, here are all the keeper photos!

Tucson Rodeo February 2016

A beautiful February day in the upper 70s greeted fans out to see the Tucson Rodeo, or La Fiesta de los Vaqueros, or Festival of the Cowboys.

Since my college days, I’ve gone to this professional rodeo the most. 

I remember very cold rodeo days, and the last one I photographed in 2011 was downright windy, making lens changes especially difficult.

Before the big girls and boys competed, the young ones came out.  I might have enjoyed the young ones most of all.  The little ones gave it their all in riding sheep.  And, the one rodeo event for the ladies is barrel racing.  Note the little girl with her blonde hair straight out as she rode hard around the barrels. 

Maybe one of my favorite shots of the day was the lady holding the sheep on a leash, with the other sheep waiting nearby.

I shot with a Canon 5D Mark III body using a Tamron 28-300mm lens and a Manfrotto tripod for a bit more stability.  I did use at times a 1.4x Tamron extender.  I left at home, sadly, a lens I should have used:  the Tamron 150-600mm.  I ended up having to crop most of my shots.  I processed them using Lightroom and a few plugins from Macphun:  SnapHeal and Focus along with the plugin called Perfectly Clear.  I took nearly 900 shots and pared it all down to about 67. 

Until My Next Adventure, 

(Cave Creek Rodeo)

See You On Down The Road!

Jim Patterson

Here are all the keeper photos!