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Teamwork
Wilsall, Montana
2011

Four of the five creatures in this photo look like they are enjoying being part of a well-coordinated team. The fifth, well, he just isn’t really into being a team player.

Practice, Practice, Practice
Wilsall, Montana
2011

I’ve seen people do a lot of amazing feats of skill over the years but I’ll never cease to be amazed at the timing and coordination required to rope the back legs of a running steer. Of course no matter how much you practice, in the end it depends as much on the erratic behavior of the ropee as it does the skill of the roper.

Sweetheart of the Rodeo
Wilsall, Montana
2011

I don’t like crowds. I prefer going matinee movies on Mondays, eating in restaurants at 4:00p.m. and traveling to Europe in March rather than August. So this roping competition was perfect for me. It’s easy to stand out in a crowd when you are the crowd.

Handshake
Wilsall, Montana
2011

Two of the few people at the roping competition that didn’t know each other beforehand introduce themselves.

Hats and Cattle
Wilsall, Montana
2011

This guy is wearing a traditional cowboy hat while a lot of the riders at the competition were wearing baseball caps. When it comes to roping, it would seem the ball caps have a definite advantage–they’re less likely to be knocked off by a wayward rope. Of course if you can’t even keep your rope from knocking your hat off, I don’t know how you’d expect to be able to actually rope a fast moving steer anyway.

Giving Chase
Wilsall, Montana
2011

A team roper testing his skill under some of that famous Montana big sky.

Cowboy Humor
Wilsall, Montana
2011

These guys had the job of untying the steers once they were roped. They were pretty casual about the job, standing over against fence in the shade and then sauntering out into the arena when it was time for action. Here they’re sharing some bit of humor.

Line Dancing
Wilsall, Montana
2011

The same cowboy from yesterday’s photo, on a different run. He’s roped his steer, his horse is holding the rope taut and he’s running toward the calf to tie him up. This guy was the most well-dressed competitor there, maybe going for the Marlboro Man lookalike award. It takes a lot of something to wear a white shirt to a rodeo competition. I can’t seem to get out the door wearing one before it’s got some smear of dirt or grime on it somewhere.

Air-Time
Wilsall, Montana
2011

A calf getting a little air-time in the competition. Getting roped, then picked up and thrown to the ground and hog-tied can’t be much fun. We kept cringing every time we saw one hit the ground like this one is about to. But they’re actually quite tough and seemed no worse for wear after the ordeal. Once they were untied and left alone they seemed quite happy trotting on down the arena to join their peers and wait for the next round of harassment.

Waiting to Ride
Wilsall, Montana
2011

On a drive down the Stillwater River valley last Saturday we came across some guys at the fairgrounds in Wilsall who were continually herding the same calves from one side of the rodeo arena to the other. It turns out they were training them to run a relatively straight line so they would be good performers in a small roping competition they were having the next day. (Who knew you had to have proper training to be a rodeo cow.)

This event is held every year as a memorial for a fellow who died about ten years ago, put on by his friends and family. While the entrants pay a fee so there is purse money for prizes, it isn’t advertised and isn’t meant to draw spectators. But seeing our interest, we were invited to come back on Sunday and watch the competition, which we did along with a handful of relatives of some of the performers. I’ll be posting a number of photos from the event over the next week or so.

There was no gate fee for spectators at the event, no concession stand, no over the top rodeo “phoo-fer-all;” in fact no phoo-fer-all at all. Just an announcer and some help recording times and bunch of guys hanging around in the arena on their horses waiting for their turn to ride and rope.