Keeping It Real

Officials wait at the chutes for the opening of the rodeo. “These cowboys and cowgirls use their own gear, ride their own horses and don’t compete for money,” Pettit says.

Williams entertains rodeo spectators between events. Watching the cowboys in action, Pettit says, reminds her of “what goes on for these working cowboys on a daily basis on the ranch.”

Pickup men Carter Williams (foreground) and Miles DeWitt attempt to catch a feisty bronc as it rears up during a bronc riding event. A pickup man’s job is to pick up a rider thrown from a bronc, then secure the loose horse.

A cowboy uses his slicker to protect his young son from the rain. The event now is held during a less rainy time of year, Pettit says.

A cowpuncher rides high on a bronc, hoping to make his time, during the bronc riding event. “For the most part, I like to convert my rodeo photos to black and white,” Pettit says. “The grounds are generally quite busy with trailers, overhead wires and poles. By taking out the color, I feel I can diminish those distractions. I always want the focus to be on the action — the riders and their horses.”

After the entry parade on the first day of the rodeo, children race each other as they leave the arena. “The weekend is meant to be a way for ranch families to get together outside of the rigors of their daily work life,” Pettit says.

A cowboy stretches out to fire his lasso at a calf during the calf roping competition at the Arizona Cowpuncher’s Reunion Association rodeo in Williams. “I like the action, of course,” photographer Bev Pettit says of the rodeo, “but witnessing the skill of these cowboys and the agility of their horses is awesome. They’re true athletes.”