Rodeo Pictures

Curt attended the Days of '76 Rodeo during his college years. That was when it was legal to drink on the streets of Deadwood and the three or four days of rodeo were three or four days of party. Now many of the grandstand attendees are "Q-Tips": white hair and white shoes. Lots of western hats can be seen in the crowd. It is no longer legal to drink on the streets of Deadwood. There may still be lots of "partying" going on during the Days of '76, but it is being done after the rodeo and in the bars.


Bare Back bucking bronc event

Those horses weren't so mild mannered once the straps and cowboys were added! This cowboy is in the correct position for the start of his ride. He needs to stay on the back of the horse for 8 seconds, keeping one hand wrapped around a rope and the other in the air, away from the horse's body all while spurring the horse as it turns and bucks and spins and bucks. The judges score the horse and the rider from 1 to 50. The scores are added together. If the cowboy's score is in the 80s, he has had a good ride.

Steer wrestling. There's just something about a man with a small bum in a tight pair of jeans.

In this event a steer is released from a pen and a cowboy on his horse, after giving the calf a head start, must slide off his horse, grab the horns of the steer, twist the steer around, bringing it to the ground and forcing its four legs off the ground. (Another cowboy is riding on the other side of the steer, keeping it in a straight line allowing the cowboy to judge when to get off and "hug" the steer.) A cowboy who wrestled his steer in 3.7 seconds won the event at this rodeo. That is fast. Sometimes the steer wins by slipping away or when the cowboy misjudges his slide and hug.

Saddle Bronc event. Another one bites the dust...

My favorite event is bull riding. Those pictures will be next.