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Room With a View
Wilsall, Montana
2011

I’ll end this series of photos with one of some of the facilities at the Wilsall rodeo grounds. On to something else tomorrow.

Crow’s Nest
Wilsall, Montana
2011

I don’t know what the official name for the skybox where the announcer and timers sit at a rodeo is, but crow’s nest seems appropriate. From this angle it doesn’t look like there’s much going on for the silhouetted woman in the box to be watching, but there were a lot of riders etc. just out of view behind the shoots and gates.

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.