Rodeo

Before my spinal cord injury, I rode horses in Michigan; now I ride the energy of the rodeo with my camera mounted to my wheelchair and a shutter release held between my teeth. From this ground-level perspective, the arena becomes a charged stage where athleticism, masculinity, and spectacle collide.

I am drawn to the physicality of the young cowboys — their movement, their balance, their risk — as well as to the visual drama of dust, motion, and force. Each ride feels like a negotiation between control and chaos, strength and vulnerability, beauty and danger.

Rodeo is where my two loves meet: horses and men, muscle and motion. Through street photography made from my wheelchair, I frame these encounters as both documentary and fantasy, capturing a world that is at once brutal, seductive, and profoundly kinetic.

A man wearing a large cowboy hat, denim jacket, and a purple shirt, smiling and sitting at an outdoor event during daytime, with another man in cowboy hat and sunglasses sitting nearby.
Horses behind a chain-link fence at a rodeo arena during sunset
A man standing outside next to a horse trailer, holding a brown horse on a leash, with another horse partially visible nearby. The scene is outdoors on a sidewalk during daylight, with trees and people in the background.
A brown horse is tied outside a silver horse trailer on a grassy area during daylight. A person stands nearby holding a lead rope, with another horse visible in the background.
Three young men dressed in western-style clothing, standing outdoors under a large tree with a background of palm trees, parked cars, and a clear sky.
Crowd of people at an outdoor event, some leaning on a barrier, watching an activity on the field, with clear blue sky and trees in the background.
Cowboys riding horses inside a red corral, preparing for a rodeo event under a clear blue sky.
A man wearing a cowboy hat, sunglasses, and a white shirt stands outdoors among a crowd of people on a sunny day with clear blue skies and green trees in the background.
A man with a beard and cowboy hat carrying a baby in a baby carrier at an outdoor event, with other people and tents in the background on a sunny day.
People standing outdoors at a daytime event, some chatting, with a clear blue sky and trees in the background.
A man wearing a cowboy hat and casual clothing standing outdoors on a sunny day, with a stroller in front of him, and a vendor booth in the background.
Two men dressed in cowboy attire sitting at a table outdoors, engaging in a conversation. They are both wearing cowboy hats, one in blue and the other in white. The table has a red and white checkered tablecloth, with various items including a clipbo
Group of people, including law enforcement officers and civilians, gathered around a table outdoors, participating in a discussion or briefing.
A young man standing outdoors in a parking lot during daytime, smiling, wearing a grey long-sleeve shirt, blue jeans, and a baseball cap, with a group of people and trees in the background.
A young man standing outdoors in a parking lot, wearing a gray sweatshirt, jeans, a watch, and a cap. There are parked cars and a trailer nearby, with a tree and a fence behind him.
Two people, a man and a woman, standing outdoors next to a trailer and a black pickup truck, looking at a smartphone together. They are in a parking lot with trees in the background.
Three men wearing cowboy hats sitting and talking outdoors near a wooden structure, with one man wearing a racing jersey.
Young man in cowboy attire with a hat, plaid shirt, and jeans standing on grass with a suitcase and a dog, with a large trailer and another person sitting in a foldable chair in the background.
Two men in cowboy hats and Western-style clothing sitting outside near a silver trailer. One man in a blue shirt and jeans sitting on hay bale holding a beverage, the other in a white shirt with American flag patch, sitting on a circular metal contai
Two men dressed as cowboys stand behind a chain-link fence at a rodeo, with a rodeo clown and agricultural vehicles visible in the background during late afternoon.
Two men in western attire standing near a horse trailer with horses; one holding a green hose, outdoors under trees.
A man and a young girl sitting at the open back of a horse trailer with saddles hanging inside. The man is wearing a cowboy hat, patterned shirt, jeans, and boots, smiling at the camera. The girl has long hair, a navy jacket with white speckles, patt
A person in a blue hoodie and jeans playing a game of giant Jenga at an outdoor event, with a man wearing sunglasses and a cap watching nearby.
Three men sitting at a table outdoors near a truck, engaged in a game or activity, with trees and a lamppost in the background on a sunny day.
Group of young people gathered around a table outdoors, playing a game or studying, with backpacks and a pickup truck in the background on a sunny day.
Group of people playing a game of dominoes outdoors on a sunny day with trees and a clear sky in the background.
A blurred brown and white cow seen through a metal fence at a rodeo, with a crowd of spectators in the background under a blue sky.
A rodeo scene with a rider falling off a bucking bronco, seen through metal fencing with a crowd in the background.
A horse racing event at a stadium with a crowd in the stands, viewed through metal bars of a fence.
A man dressed as a cowboy walking across a dirt rodeo arena, viewed through metal fence bars with a large audience in the background.
Rodeo event with a cowboy on a bucking horse inside a fenced arena, filled with spectators under a clear blue sky.
Two young boys dressed in cowboy attire standing outdoors in front of a large tree, with a fence and trailers in the background.
Two men wearing cowboy hats and sunglasses enjoy food at an outdoor fair, with a line of people and food stalls in the background on a sunny day.
A man wearing a denim jacket and jeans with a patriotic star-spangled hat stands in line at a food booth at a fair, with other people waiting nearby.
Three young adults, two women and one man, are outdoors, wearing cowboy hats and casual clothes, engaged in a conversation.
A man in a red plaid shirt and cap talking to two women seated near a stroller on bleachers at an outdoor event with other people in the background.
A man in a red plaid shirt and baseball cap standing in a crowd at an outdoor event, with people sitting on bleachers in the background.
A man is holding a young girl on his shoulders, standing in a line at an outdoor event. A woman with sunglasses and a headband is leaning on a stroller, talking to the man. Several people are visible in the background, including children and adults,
A close-up shot at a rodeo or dirt arena shows the shot from beneath a horse, with the horse's tail moving, and metal railings in the foreground. In the background, there are spectators and tall light poles under a clear blue sky.
A man dressed as a cowboy standing behind a metal fence with a warning sign that reads 'Stay Off Fence' at a rodeo arena, under a partly cloudy sky.
A cowboy on horseback at a rodeo arena talking with a person in a cowboy hat near the red metal fence, with palm trees and a building in the background on a sunny day.
Group of people standing in a circle outdoors near a trailer with an American flag, some are wearing backpacks and casual clothing, during sunset or late afternoon.
Five men wearing cowboy hats and jeans are gathered outside near a metal fence. Four men are standing and one is seated, drinking, talking and working, with some gear and bags on the ground. The scene is set outdoors near a barn or stable with a wood
Group of men dressed in western attire, including cowboy hats, gathered outdoors near metal fencing, engaging in conversation and greeting each other on a sunny day with palm trees in the background.
Four young men wearing cowboy hats and casual western attire, standing outdoors in front of a weathered wooden and metal structure, with some cars and trees visible in the background.
Young man in plaid shirt and black cowboy hat sitting on a folding chair beside rodeo fencing and gear.
A man wearing a cowboy hat, red shirt, jeans, and boots walking outdoors in a field with palm trees and vehicles in the background.
Group of young men wearing cowboy hats and casual clothes standing near a red metal gate at an outdoor event with palm trees in the background.
Two women in cowboy hats and sunglasses posing for a photo at an outdoor event, with a crowd in the background and vendor stalls.
Three young men standing outdoors at a booth, two are looking at their phones and one has his arm crossed, with a crowd in the background.
A man with a beard and woman with long hair walking outdoors at a fair or festival, holding drinks, dressed casually with sunglasses.
Group of people outdoors, talking and laughing near a wooden fence, under a blue sky
A group of people at an outdoor event, with palm trees and a blue sky in the background, some of whom are wearing hats and jackets, standing near a metal barricade.
Young man wearing sunglasses, a baseball cap, a red and black checkered shirt, and jeans leaning against a metal railing at an outdoor event with palm trees and a clear sky in the background.
Group of horses walking on dirt track at a rodeo with spectators sitting on bleachers in background under cloudy sky.
Close-up of a horse at a rodeo, viewed through metal bars, with the horse’s body partially visible and people in the background near a fence.
A young man wearing a face mask, camouflage jacket, black T-shirt, light-colored jeans, and sunglasses on his cap standing outdoors near a fenced area with other people around.
A young cowboy in a plaid shirt and black cowboy hat leaning over a metal fence at a rodeo arena, with a large banner obscuring part of his face. In the background, there are bleachers and a clear blue sky.
Four men standing on stadium bleachers, holding drinks, dressed casually with hats and sunglasses, enjoying an outdoor event on a sunny day.