Pictures: Wranglers and Wrangling @ Professional Bull Riders Rodeo @ Portland Rose Garden
February 9, 2011 — PDXPIPELINEBy Natalie St. John
Safely ensconced inside a cozy haven of wooly sweaters, fair-trade Americanos and bike collectives, Portlanders sometimes forget that they live on an island; a tiny blue island in the middle of a big, red sea. And sometimes, we forget that this isn't always a bad thing.
Such was the case last Friday, when the floor of the Rose Garden Arena was transformed by several tons of dirt, a backstage paddock full of livestock, a truck full of mini-skirted cowgirls bearing t-shirt canons, and not one, but two gigantic pyro-technic flame-snorting metal bull's heads, when the Professional Bull Rider's Rodeo rode into town for two nights.
As excessive as all that sounds, if you've ever felt that Portland was perhaps just a bit too damp and floppy and politically correct, then rodeo is the perfect antidote because the Rodeo is proudly, gloriously everything that Portland is not; A place where the men are manly and clean-shaven, the women are sparkly and adoring, the danger is real, the beef is still snorting and slobbering, and the air is rich with the smells of dirt, sweat, and beer.
A largely out-of-town (but not out-of-state, it should be noted) crowd packed the arena with ten-gallon-hats to cheer as local riders competed alongside national and international competitors, including riders from Australia and Brazil.
"I'm so glad this happened while I was home " a soldier from central Oregon who was home on R&R said, "It was the perfect thing to do before I go back to Iraq in two weeks."
Portland was the fifth stop of their national tour, which kicked off in New York last month, and will conclude at October's world series in Las Vegas. Brazilian riders have dominated the competition so far, winning all five of the last rounds, with Guilherme Marchi of Sao Paulo Brazil taking the top prize in the finals on Saturday night.
While the rodeo won't be back in town for another year, fans can still follow the competition on the Versus network, as the action moves on to Oklahoma City next week.
And Mommas, even if you'd rather your babies to grew up to be carbon traders or acupuncturists or organic farmers than cowboys, you should still take them to the rodeo the next time it rolls around, so they can at least make an informed decision.
Related info and links:
- More GREAT Rodeo pics by Natalie St John @ theprofessionalforeigner.com
- Pictures: Portland Keeps it Beard @ 2011 West Coast Beard & Mustache Championships
- Pictures: Global No Pants Day | 175 People, 36Â Degrees
- Pictures: Portland Strip Club Industry Awards — "PDX Strippies" |Â NSFW
- Pictures: The Decemberists At MusicFest NW | Levi's Pioneer Stage at Pioneer Courthouse Square
—————————————
Natalie St. John is a freelance photographer, writer and educator with a knack for getting into mischief. She loves bourbon, honesty, and photographs that tell a story. You can follow her adventures at theprofessionalforeigner.com
February 9, 2011 at 15:22
[...] night, I shot the PBR Rodeo at the Rose Garden Arena for PDX Pipeline. Despite having lived in rural Texas for three years, it was my first Rodeo. It was also the [...]
July 27, 2011 at 14:15
[...] Pictures: Wranglers and Wrangling @ Professional Bull Riders Rodeo … Feb 9, 2011 … Pictures: Wranglers and Wrangling @ Professional Bull Riders Rodeo @ Portland Rose Garden … [...]