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Last weekend, I went to photograph the oldest consecutive rodeo in Kansas. Unexpectedly, it was one of those events where I smiled all the way through.
When I went to a college in the US Midwest, some of my classmates referred to themselves as cowboys. Many wore big leather boots, belts with massive shiny buckles, unbuttoned shirts, and hats. Not because it was practical in the city, just to be cool. Tobacco chewing and a big truck reportedly elevated the coolness even further. Not for me, though. I couldn't relate to them, nor to the idea of a rodeo event. But then I moved to a different part of the country, where ranchers rode horses to herd cattle, move around the pastures, or chase steers. Not to be cool, but as a part of their everyday life. And each of those I met was a friendly, polite, and great person to spend some time with. They told me more about rodeos, which started making sense to me.

I attended a few small ones as part of my job, and I found it interesting to compare their audiences to those of mainstream sports matches. Say, during football, one could see a wide variety of visitors, while at rodeos, they were noticeably more uniform. Yet everybody had a different story to tell. Still, the rodeos I saw weren't particularly memorable. So, when I was assigned to photograph the 78th annual Flint Hills Rodeo in Strong City last weekend, I looked forward to capturing it, but didn't have any big expectations. When I arrived, it looked like business as usual. But this being a bigger rodeo than the previous ones I photographed, there was more to see.

The event started with recognizing military members, discussing the importance of fighting cancer (which is why those pink shirts are in the photos), and sponsors' announcements. Then, of course, there was a performance of the National Anthem. The whole stadium joined in singing along, and everybody acted as if it mattered. Regardless of my stand towards nationalism, it was a powerful moment.

Then, the event kicked off with bareback riding, followed by bulldogging, calf roping, barrel racing, and bull riding. Spectators cheered on all of them, creating a friendly atmosphere.

They also had a few children's competitions, such as sheep riding. A number of the involved got a taste of the dirt.

Meanwhile, the speakers aired one redneck joke after another, and the crowd laughed. They also included a rodeo clown, who danced with a horse.

I met some old friends there, but also created a few new ones. Everyone I talked to had a positive attitude. Many people shared basic things that bring them joy, like good coworkers, a book they are reading, their family, friends, the current weather, and so on. It was refreshing, as at another event I covered earlier that day, I ran into a person who started the conversation with something like: "So, I purchased iPhone 5, and just two weeks later, these bastards announced iPhone 6. I feel cheated!" It makes a big difference.

After the rodeo, there were dances with live music.

After taking a few pics, I joined and danced a bit — something I haven't done for years. I went to concerts during that time; however, they were in the metal or electronic genres, where dance meant moshing in a pit. The country dance is a tad more serious, so I tried to quickly recall some long-time forgotten waltz or foxtrot moves while attempting to adapt them to the two-step, but I have no illusions; I bet it looked pretty clumsy to the onlookers. Still, I felt welcomed, and I had a fab time. The community made the event into a lovely evening!

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If you've enjoyed this post, you might also like my other articles about Kansas, the USA, or different locations and topics. Thanks for reading!