In the Heart of NYC – At the Rodeo
There’s a few things that I’ve always wanted to photograph – among them are, a Presidential Inaugural (check), a revolution (check), the aurora (check), and a rodeo (finally, check). There are others – like the Westminster Dog show and an actual active war zone that hopefully I’ll be covering in the years to come.
The rodeo that I got to photograph was actually in NYC, part of the PBR tour. No – that’s not some hipster rodeo – but actually the Professional Bull Riders. It was an odd spectacle that took place at Madison Square Garden, you know… the place where the Knicks pretend to play professional basketball? Rodeo’s are an unusual event in the first place – scantily clad women, men wearing clothes that haven’t been relevant literally since the Cowboy times and bulls that have ropes around their genitals. All the while with grown men in painted faces running around and singing pop songs of the day. The fact that this was happening in New York City just added to the surreal nature of this event.
But I’ve been to a Sarah Palin 9/11 Remembrance Rally in Wasilla. So, my level of ‘odd’ and ‘disturbing’ is bit different than the average persons. (They had a sheet cake with the American flag on it, btw. That happened, I have photos.)
Without further adieu – photos from the awesome oddness that was the Professional Bull Riders Tour.
Yes, that’s Barry from Storage Wars… for some reason. He was quite awesome and nice.
Barnes PRCA rodeo had the very first rodeo ever in Atlantic City in the last couple of years(Springtime). I did not see it on their schedule this year. Would have thought Atlantic City could have had rodeos whenever they so desired.
PS…these rodeo clowns are incredible.
The PBR is one of my favorite events. They used to start the season in CT at the casino in November. I watched Guilherme Marchi get his clock cleaned by a horn to the face right in front of me. Blood everywhere. It was cool. It is very cool after watching on tv many years.
Barry is the guy on the right with the slicked back hair.
The Nicholson/Lewis clone. Thanks.
My hometown of Cherokee,iowa has had a rodeo on Memorial Day Weekend and 2015 will be the 49th one in a row. Hometown and area ranchers,the late Bob and Donita Barnes provided all the stock for said rodeos from the Rafter B Bar ranch located about 5 ,miles east of Larrabee,iowa. Their children still run the company and they have rodeos all around the nation and especially the National Finals Rodeos..
If you have never seen a real rodeo,they are interesting to say the least. But you see the same stuff year after year and it does get tiresome unless you are into horses and bodily injury riding bulls.The Barnes that runs the company lives in my adopted hometown of Sutherland,iowa and his wife Cindi works in the local bank and he is on the road much of the year and she goes when she is not working at the bank.
Excellent pictures,Mr Zach. Sure enough looks like the rodeos I’ve seen.
BTW-which person is Barry? Is he the one with the ratty coyote tail on his chin or the one that looks like a Jack Nicholson/Al Lewis clone?
My sister was a rodeo princess, back in the day. I’ve been to my share of shows. You are right, one rodeo is interesting, but 15 in one summer gets tiresome. Good photos, I’ve seen PBR on TV. They put on a good show.
Here in Australia rodeo means all sorts of other events like barrel-racing, roping and drafting. Bull-riding is the least interesting event at the rodeo.
What,pray tell, is drafting and does it have anything to do with Fosters Lager? Inquiring iowa mind wants to know.
Since I’ve seen David Lynch’s Blue Velvet, I thought PBR stood for Pabst Blue Ribbon. Thanks for clarifying.
Very funny,Zyx,and accurate.