At the rodeo, you'll find broken bones, blood and sometimes even death. Which makes one wonder: Who in their right mind would voluntarily do it? To rodeo cowboys, though, that risk is part of the appeal. And for many, it's always just been part of life. Photographer Lance Rosenfield wanted to find out what makes these rodeo cowboys tick. His photo story "Thirst For Grit" follows a few cowboys around small-town Texas rodeos.
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These guys don't think of themselves as doing anything special. This is just who they are. They'd rather die in the arena than die any other way. For them, this is truly what they feel born to do.
The rodeo was born in the late 1800s, when cowboy ranchers traveled miles to demonstrate wrangling and riding skills. There were few rules, and each gathering was as informal as it was spontaneous. But those frontier days are over, as are the days immortalized by John Wayne films. So, the real question is: What is a modern-day cowboy?
Rosenfield explained that most of these men would use the term "cowboy" sparingly. Most of them are rodeo athletes with regular day jobs. But because Texas is so vast, they don't have the luxury of recreational team sports to unwind after work. Instead, they travel miles and miles on weekends to compete, to entertain and to socialize. Modern-day rodeos are organized and regulated. Still, the men still see themselves as upholding an important part of Western — American, that is, not European — tradition.
"I don't want to fall into the trap of over-romanticizing," says Rosenfield. "I'm trying to stay true to what I see." His story both inspires a fascination with rodeo and humanizes the rodeo athletes. They're just like the rest of us — although maybe a little less scared to die.
Images courtesy Lance Rosenfield.
By Claire O'Neill
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