It’s high summer, and time for all of us to be outside recharging our artistic batteries. Last Sunday was the Drummond, Montana rodeo - a favorite of mine, and about an hour’s drive from home. Kesler furnishes the roughstock and pickup riders, and they’re superb - the pickup men dress in bright red shirts and white scarves, and there are some very rank broncs in their string. It all makes for wonderful theater.
This rider made his 8 seconds and is being rescued off the still-bucking bronc. Look at all the action and color! For me, this is pure candy and joy. What’s yours?
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July 9th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
This morning while on the back deck talking to my son who had just returned from a bike ride, I noticed what I THOUGHT was a dog running in my neighbor’s yard. Then all of a sudden I see two whitetail fawns chasing each other around the neighbor’s pool - in a circle, round and round. Then they run out into the yard and into MY yard (with my son and I there watching) totally oblivious to us! They race to the back woods and disappear; few seconds later, here they come out of the woods chasing each other, and up into the neighbors yard and around the pool again! They did this several times! I had no idea fawns “played” like that. Mom spotted us and gathered them both up and they disappeared into the ravine. What a sight! This is the SECOND set of twin fawns I have been able to watch grow up - last summer was the first. Pure joy for me! And lots of photos!
July 10th, 2009 at 5:02 am
I wish they had more rodeos around here! If they do the bull riding and broncs are at night in poorly lit arenas that are nearly impossible to get decent photos.
I am very lucky, though, as the Kentucky Horse Park is 30 minutes away. Some type of horse show every weekend from Arabians to Saddlebreds to eventing - the list goes on and on. This week is the American Vaulting Championships. Incredible! Watching these kids jump on to 17 - 18 hand horses from the ground and then do the various balancing tricks while cantering around is quite impressive. The World Equestrian Games will take p[lace here in Sept - Oct. 2010. What an opportunity.
July 10th, 2009 at 7:07 am
Marti, what a GREAT story! and so LUCKY you had your camera there and ready to go!! good for you. Not only that, just witnessing something so fun and wonderful can be an artistic stimulus, even if you don’t get photos.
Yvonne, you are darn lucky to be so close to KHP! Didn’t realize the Worlds would be there next fall, wow. Back east you’re probably more likely to find an audience for art that shows horses in english tack anyway. There are zillions of rodeos around this area all summer, but many are at night - I only go to the daytime outdoor ones, for the obvious reasons you noted.
Rodeo slack is also great fun; there’s never much audience at those, it’s free, and often I can get in the arena with nobody saying anything about it. (Slack is ‘extra’ rodeo for the timed events - no roughstock).
July 10th, 2009 at 7:27 am
Julie, my camera is ALWAYS at the ready and I usually take it out with me when I go on the deck - I never know what will be happening out there. There is abundant wildlife year round - deer, fox, coyote, rabbits, groundhogs, raccoons, hawks, songbirds, etc.
Yvonne, my son has 7 horses on his “ranch” (he likes to call it a ranch) including Tennessee Walkers, a gorgeous registered quarter horse named Rio, and a little pinto mare that my granddaughter rides. I have taken a gazillion photos of those horses running in the pasture and up close and personal. They have been the subject of a couple of my recent paintings. While not the same as rodeo photos, just watching them run is exhilirating and a joy to behold!