Saddle Bronc Finals at the Tsuu T’ina Rodeo

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The finals of the 40th annual Tsuu T’ina Nation Indian Rodeo were held on July 27th.  This rodeo is a favourite of mine as the competitors, the stock and the atmosphere are all excellent.  This year was no exception and I had a great afternoon photographing the cowgirls and cowboys in their respective riding, racing and roping events.  The Saddle Bronc is always exciting as these horses get charged up and it is incredibly hard for anyone to hang on for the required 8 seconds.  Seth Fenner walked away as the champion with a memorable ride on Cowboy Casanova that earned him 76.5 points (the photograph above is from that ride; the one below is at the end of the ride when the pickup men come in to assist the cowboy’s dismount).

The high quality of the stock contributed to a great final and the cowboys met the challenge.  The cowboys in this event always amaze me – it’s like riding a rocket while wrestling an angry crocodile.  There were a couple of qualified a number of exciting rides with a couple full times and a couple buck offs.  It’s fun to watch and I’m always impressed how skilled and committed all of the supporting cast are (the pick up men, rodeo clowns, officials and beyond).  The Tsuu T’ina Rodeo is on the same level as much larger rodeos and I’m already looking forward to next year’s event.

Here are a few more photos from the Saddle Bronc event.  I will share more from the other events soon.

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