Matt Cohen Photography

2013 Clovis Rodeo – Roughstock

mc — Fri, 10 May 2013 17:39:41 +0000

The performance side of the 2013 Clovis Rodeo started out with a PBR Touring Pro event on Thursday night. I haven’t shot PBR events in quite some time because of a rights-grab waiver they used to make photographers sign. They don’t seem to be doing that anymore, so I got my first chance to shoot guys like Valdiron and Ben Jones who also ride in the PBR Built Ford Tough series that runs on TV.

Bull rider Valdiron de Oliveira of Goias, Brazil works on his rope at the PBR Touring Pro event in Clovis, CA.

Bull rider Ben Jones rolls up his sleeves before his ride at the PBR Touring Pro event in Clovis, CA.

I shot the first section of bulls from across the arena, trying to take advantage of the late evening sun:

Bull rider Tim Myers of Brentwood, CA gets bucked off Full Tilt at the PBR Touring Pro event in Clovis, CA.

Bullfighter Mitch Coleman steps in to protect Scottie Knapp from High Time at the PBR Touring Pro event in Clovis, CA.

There was some comic relief:

One of the Brazilians, Simao da Silva, wanted to know about the bull he drew, 700 SFB of Kish’s. Someone told him to ask John Growney. Simao speaks ZERO English. He asks John, and John launched into a story that Simao understood absolutely none of. I reminded John that he needed to show him what the bull did, and John (talking slower and much louder) kept saying “HE’S A LITTLE FLAT BUCKER.” Surprisingly this didn’t work at all, and one of the other Brazilians had to come over and translate. As Simao was walking away, John said “Don’t worry, I’ll learn your language.” Who wants to teach John Growney Portuguese?

By the time Simao rode SFB, I had climbed up to the roof of the announcer’s stand:

Bull rider Simao da Silva of Coacatuba, Brazil rides SFB at the PBR Touring Pro event in Clovis, CA.

Bull rider Chase Outlaw of Hamburg, AR rides Timber Wolf for the win at the PBR Touring Pro event in Clovis, CA.

It was good to be able to shoot a PBR event after several years, but the combination of the lack of variety (just bull riding) and my lack of familiarity with most of the riders, made me thankful when the actual rodeo started.

The behind-the-chutes area at Clovis is great for pictures. Here’s Steven Peebles invading my space while I was trying to make a picture of someone else. This one was way better than what I was trying to do:

Bareback rider Steven Peebles of Redmond, OR prepares to ride at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

In this picture I managed to make Jared Smith look tall via a very low angle:

Bareback rider Jared Smith of Cross Plains, TX prepares to ride at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

2011 PRCA bull riding champion Shane Proctor does in fact put his boots on one at a time:

Bull rider Shane Proctor of Grand Coulee, WA prepares to ride at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

Saddle bronc rider Sam Spreadborough of Snyder, TX tapes up before his ride at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

Trey Benton III flew in from another rodeo and didn’t have enough time to dry his gear. Luckily there was a giant cooling fan behind the chutes and Trey took advantage:

Bull rider Trey Benton III of Rock Island, TX uses a fan to dry off his gear at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

It was 90+ (degrees, not points) for most of the week, and riders took to the shade as much as possible:

Bull rider Keith Roquemore of Cottonwood, CA tries to stay cool at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

I shot the roughstock action from all over the place, the corners, the stands, announcer’s box roof and more:

Bareback rider Micky Downare of Hartsel, CO rides Blue’s Man at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

Cody Wright won the saddle bronc riding on Friendly Fire, a horse no stranger to winning at Clovis. Cody passed $2 million in career earnings with this ride, making it the second time in 2 seasons I’ve seen a rider do that after Bobby Mote did it in Red Bluff in 2011.

Saddle bronc rider Cody Wright of Milford, UT rides Friendly Fire for the win at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

Saddle bronc rider Sterling Crawley of Stephenville, TX rides Lunatic Fringe at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

Bareback rider Bobby Mote of Culver, OR rides Raggidy Ann at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

Saddle bronc rider Ty Atchison of Jackson, MO rides Frontier at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

Bareback rider Josi Young of Buhl, ID takes a re-ride at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

I shot a section of saddle broncs from behind the cute, and came away with a couple of pictures:

Saddle bronc rider Jacob Huserik of Hemet, CA prepares to ride at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

Flankman Chad Burch takes a smoke break at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

I shot the bull riding all three days from the announcer’s box roof:

Bull rider Tyler Smith of Fruita, CO rides Yes Man at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

Bullfighter Eric Layton gets thrown by Simple Man while protecting bull rider Chris Roundy at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

Hometown boy Kaycee Rose won the bull riding:

Bull rider Kaycee Rose of Clovis, CA rides Wildly Legit at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

It’s always good to see my man JJ Harrison clowning around:

Barrelman JJ Harrison of Walla Walla, WA performs at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

**For more from the 2013 Clovis Rodeo, check out my timed-event post.**

2013 Clovis Rodeo – Timed Events

mc — Fri, 10 May 2013 17:39:34 +0000

In my Big Lens Fast Shutter post on 2013 goals, I mentioned that I needed to shoot more of the timed events, especially team roping. Early in the season I already had several client requests for pictures of timed event contestants, and I filled most of them at Clovis’ 8am slack.

Steer wrestler Russell Cardoza of Terrebonne, OR competes at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

Steer wrestler Wyatt Smith of Rexburg, ID competes at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

Steer wrestler Trey Nahrgang of Buckeye, AZ competes at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

Steer wrestler Billy Bugenig of Ferndale, CA rides into the box for his turn at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

On Facebook, someone commented “Looks like maybe the steer turned into a bear just as BJ threw his loop!” True.

Team roper B.J. Campbell of Aguila, AZ competes at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

Tie-down roper Tuf Cooper of Decatur, TX competes at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

Tie-down roper Shane Hanchey of Sulphur, LA competes at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

Tie-down roper Houston Hutto of Tomball, TX competes at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

Team roper Clay O’Brien Cooper of Gardnerville, NV competes at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

Team roper Wolfy Wilken of Templeton, CA competes at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

Team roper Cole Davison of Madisonville, TX competes at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

Team roper Cesar de la Cruz of Tuscon, AZ competes at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

Lots of good reaction pictures in team roping:

Team roper David Gill of Madera, CA competes at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

Team roper Dugan Kelly of Paso Robles, CA competes at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

Team roper Chase Tryan of Helena, MT competes at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

I took advantage of the roof of the announcer’s box to shoot down on the second barrel:

Barrel racer Fallon Taylor of Whitesboro, TX competes at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

And did a lot of panning that was very popular with the barrel racers:

Barrel racer Lee Ann Rust of Stephenville, TX competes at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

One of the best parts of the Clovis Rodeo is the Special Kids Rodeo where the cowboys teach special kids about the events. It’s really great to watch and photograph this event:

Ryle Smith of Oakdale, CA teaches roping at the Clovis Rodeo Special Kids Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

Saddle bronc rider Chuck Schmidt of Keldron, SD teaches roping at the Clovis Rodeo Special Kids Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

And since it was so hot all week, a couple of team ropers broke out a kiddie pool. Of course.

Team ropers C.R. Wilken and Spencer Mitchell cool off in their kiddie pool at the Clovis Rodeo in Clovis, CA.

**For more from the 2013 Clovis Rodeo, check out my roughstock post.**

2013 Red Bluff Round-Up

mc — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:40:14 +0000

It’s very hard to believe that this was my fifth trip to Red Bluff to shoot the Round-Up, but that’s just what it was. The Round-Up committee and staff were among the first to credential me to shoot rodeo, and the people of Red Bluff have become my biggest fans. Whenever I shoot the same event multiple times, I look for ways to get different pictures. In an effort to change it up a little bit, I rented a Nikon 24mm f/1.4 for some behind-the-scenes environmental portraits.

Martin Matilla poses for a portrait at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Bareback rider George Gillespie IV of Placerville, CA prepares his gear at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Bull rider Shane Proctor of Grand Coulee, WA prepares to ride at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Tie-down roper Tuf Cooper of Decatur, TX awaits timed-event slack at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Bareback rider J.R. Vezain of Cowley, WY tapes up before his ride at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

This is the third year in a row I got a picture of John Growney giving me the finger:

John Growney at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Bareback rider Clint Cannon of Waller, TX at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Ever wonder what steer wrestlers talk about? Steers.

Steer wrestlers Orry Lemmons, Billy Bugenig, Wade Sumpter and Seth Brockman talk it over at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Continuing my mission to shoot more roping…

Team roper Derrick Begay of Seba Dalkai, AZ gathers his rope during timed-event slack at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Tie-down roper Cory Solomon of Prairie View, TX competes during timed-event slack at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

…and barrel racing:

Barrel racer Kelli Tolbert of Hooper, UT competes at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Barrel racer Sheena Robbins of Fresno, CA, CA competes at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Barrel racer Jandee Smart of Red Bluff, CA competes at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Barrel racer Hayle Gibson of Redcrest, CA competes at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Barrel racer Fallon Taylor of Whitesboro, TX competes at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

The light on Friday evening was nice while it lasted:

Bareback rider Cody DeMers of Kimberly, ID rides West Point Girl at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

The roughstock action was great as usual:

Bull rider Jordan Spears of Redding, CA rides Black Cat at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Bull rider Tyler Stueve Knoles rides Crying Eyes at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Bareback rider Winn Ratliff of Leesville, LA rides Wet Feather at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Bull rider Cody Whitney of Sayre, OK rides Curveball at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Bareback rider Steven Peebles of Redmond, OR rides Nest Egg at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Bareback rider R.C. Landingham of Pendleton, OR rides Blue’s Man at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Some crazy buckoffs:

Saddle bronc rider Dawson Jandreau of Kennebec, SD gets bucked off Country Code at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Bull rider Trevor Kastner of Ardmore, OK gets bucked off Canadian Tuxedo at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Saddle bronc rider Joaquin Real of Woody, CA gets bucked off Cow Camp at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

I used my fisheye/monopod setup for one section of 12 riders and come up with these two pictures:

Bareback rider Tyler Nelson of Victor, ID takes a re-ride at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Saddle bronc rider Brady Nicholes of Hoytsville, UT rides Big & Rich at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

The highlight is always The Wild Ride:

Saddle bronc rider Cort Scheer of Elsmere, NE dressed as a cougar competes in the Wild Ride at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Saddle bronc rider Ty Manke of Boxelder, SD dressed as a Bud Light Box competes in the Wild Ride at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Saddle bronc rider Levi Berry of Morgan, UT dressed as a teddy bear competes in the Wild Ride at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Saddle bronc rider Roy Johnson of Etna, CA dressed as Catwoman competes in the Wild Ride at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Saddle bronc rider Louie Brunson of Interior, SD dressed as Duck Dynasty competes in the Wild Ride at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Saddle bronc rider Ad Bugenig of Ferndale, CA dressed as Mini Me competes in the Wild Ride at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

Flying U #317 update: After my wife first saw 317 at Oakdale, she decided that he was her favorite, and she named him Eugene. I changed it slightly to U-Gene to go along with the Flying U theme. I asked Reno Rosser if we could actually name him U-Gene, and he said sure. At Red Bluff we got to spend a lot of time with U-Gene as he waited for his turn to run the arena. Mostly he slept, with breaks for his mother’s milk and a little bit of hay, but towards the end of the week, he warmed up to us.

Flying U #317 U-Gene peeks out of his pen at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

When it was time for his lap, he did it perfectly, even matching his mom stride for stride:

Flying U #317 U-Gene takes a lap around the arena at the Red Bluff Round-Up at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.

2013 Oakdale Rodeo

mc — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:39:57 +0000

As I got to the Oakdale Saddle Club for slack on Thursday morning, I said on Twitter that all sporting events should start at 8am or earlier. Yeah, I’m a morning person, but all sports should be shot in this kind of light:

Steer wrestler Luke Branquinho of Los Alamos, CA competes at the Oakdale Rodeo in Oakdale, CA.

Steer wrestler Blaine William Jones of Templeton, CA competes at the Oakdale Rodeo in Oakdale, CA.

Steer wrestler Trevor Knowles of Mount Vernon, OR competes at the Oakdale Rodeo in Oakdale, CA.

Steer wrestler Stan Branco of Chowchilla, CA competes at the Oakdale Rodeo in Oakdale, CA.

Team roper P.K. Kennedy of Salinas, CA competes at the Oakdale Rodeo in Oakdale, CA.

Even as the great light gave way to the harsher stuff, there were still some chances for backlit action:

Tie-down roper Tyson Durfey of Colbert, WA competes at the Oakdale Rodeo in Oakdale, CA.

Tie-down roper Rhen Richard of Roosevelt, UT competes at the Oakdale Rodeo in Oakdale, CA.

Tie-down roper Trevor Brazile of Decatur, TX competes at the Oakdale Rodeo in Oakdale, CA.

Not a lot of good locations to shoot barrel racing, but I did get a couple of pictures:

Barrel racer Danna Stovner of Prineville, OR competes at the Oakdale Rodeo in Oakdale, CA.

Barrel racer Syd Wheeler of Porterville, CA competes at the Oakdale Rodeo in Oakdale, CA.

The behind-the-chutes area at Oakdale is very cramped, so I didn’t do much in the way of preparation shots, but I was quite happy with this one of my friend Cesar:

Bareback rider Cesar “Kid” Banuelos tapes up before his ride at the Oakdale Rodeo in Oakdale, CA.

8am slack is nice, only a 2 hour drive is nice, but the real highlight of shooting Oakdale is the shooting position that looks directly across the bucking chutes. This is really rare in rodeo, and while there is a high risk/reward curve, it provides opportunities for pictures you can’t get elsewhere. So while the hacks do what they do at every other rodeo, making the same pictures they have for 20 years (shooting straight on), I spend most of my time at Oakdale getting as close as I could on a different angle:

Bull rider Keith Roquemore of Cottonwood, CA takes a re-ride at the Oakdale Rodeo in Oakdale, CA.

Bull rider Keith Roquemore of Cottonwood, CA gets bucked off a re-ride bull at the Oakdale Rodeo in Oakdale, CA.

Bareback rider Seth Hardwick of Laramie, WY rides Wet Feather at the Oakdale Rodeo in Oakdale, CA.

Bareback rider R.C. Landingham of Pendleton, OR rides Bay Lady at the Oakdale Rodeo in Oakdale, CA.

You always have to be prepared, but sometimes you need a little luck as well. On this ride, Short Bar came right at the fence where I was shooting, and I had to bail out quickly. This was the last shot before I bailed, the focus point moved from Tyler Nelson to Short Bar’s face, giving me one of my favorite pictures ever.

Bareback rider Tyler Nelson of Victor, ID rides Short Bar at the Oakdale Rodeo in Oakdale, CA.

Bull rider Cody Whitney of Sayre, OK rides Loco Weed at the Oakdale Rodeo in Oakdale, CA.

Bull rider Trevor Kastner of Ardmore, OK rides Holey Kat at the Oakdale Rodeo in Oakdale, CA.

Bullfighter Aaron Hargo takes a shot while saving Myron Duarte at the Oakdale Rodeo in Oakdale, CA.

Bull rider Steve Woolsey of Payson, UT rides French Fries at the Oakdale Rodeo in Oakdale, CA.

Bull rider Ben Miles of La Grange CA gets bucked off Billy the Kid at the Oakdale Rodeo in Oakdale, CA.

I did shoot one set of saddle broncs from across the arena and got Jesse Wright’s winning ride on Flood Damage. Jesse managed an 87 point ride despite knocking his head on the bar above the chutes as Flood Damage reared up at the start of the ride.

Saddle bronc rider Jesse Wright of Milford, UT rides Flood Damage at the Oakdale Rodeo in Oakdale, CA.

My wife joined me at the rodeo, and instantly fell in love with this colt, Flying U #317, who was there to take a lap around the arena as part of Flying U’s Born to Buck program. More on #317 in my Red Bluff Round-Up post.

Flying U #317 U-Gene takes a lap around the arena at the Oakdale Rodeo in Oakdale, CA.

2012 WNFR: Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Bucking Stock: Bareback

mc — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:54:38 +0000

***If you like these pictures, please consider buying my rodeo picture book The Rodeo Trail. 80 pages of unquestionably the absolute finest rodeo photography ever made.***

Congratulations to the stock contractors whose bareback stock was selected to buck at the 2012 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Here are some recent pictures of the 2012 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo bareback stock. Good luck in Vegas to all!

Bareback rider Wes Stevenson of Lubbock, TX rides Comanchero of Flying U Rodeo Co.

Bareback rider Buck Lunak of Cut Bank, MT rides Wild & Blue of Growney Brothers Rodeo Co.

Bareback rider Blaine Davies of Flournoy, CA rides Beaver Fever of Growney Brothers Rodeo Co.

Bareback rider Seth Hardwick of Laramie, WY rides Raggidy Ann of Growney Brothers Rodeo Co.

Bareback rider Kaycee Feild of Payson, UT rides Gold Dust of Big Stone Rodeo.

Bareback rider Wes Stevenson of Lubbock, TX rides Angel Dust of Burch Rodeo Co.

Bareback rider Orin Larsen of Twin Falls, ID rides Friendly Fire of Burch Rodeo Co.

Bareback rider Tom McFarland of Bowie, TX rides Major Reno of Big Bend Rodeo Co.

Bareback rider Jessy Davis of Power, MT rides Orphan Child of Cervi Championship Rodeo Co.

Bareback rider Tilden Hooper of Carthage, TX rides Classic Equine Rose Puff of Cervi Championship Rodeo.

Bareback rider Brian Bain of Culver, OR rides Cool Water of Andrews Rodeo.

Bareback rider Steven Dent of Mullen, NE rides PTSD Power Play of Andrews Rodeo.

Bareback rider Casey Colletti of Pueblo, CO rides Black Cat of Beutler & Son Rodeo.

Bareback rider Clint Cannon of Waller, TX rides Wonderland of Beutler & Son Rodeo.

Bareback rider Royce Ford of Briggsdale, CO rides Forward Motion of Beutler & Son Rodeo.

Bareback rider Joe Gunderson of Agar, SD rides Good Times of C5 Rodeo.
Please consider supporting my rodeo photography by buying my 80-page picture book “The Rodeo Trail”. You simply will not find better rodeo photography anywhere.
http://www.mattcohenphoto.com/rodeo-prints-and-books/

Bareback rider Logan Hodson of Smithers, BC rides Loadstone Jade of Calgary Stampede.

Bareback rider Kaycee Feild of Payson, UT rides Princess Warrior of Calgary Stampede.

Saddle bronc rider Jesse Bail of Spearfish, SD rides Special Delivery of Calgary Stampede.

Bareback rider Bobby Mote of Culver, OR rides Alberta Child of Carr Pro Rodeo.

Bareback rider Kaycee Feild of Payson, UT rides Black Coffee of Carr Pro Rodeo.

Bareback rider Clint Cannon of Waller, TX rides Dirty Jacket of Carr Pro Rodeo.

Bareback rider Ryan Gray of Cheney, WA rides MGM Deuces Night of Carr Pro Rodeo.

Bareback rider Matt Bright of Azle, TX rides Real Deal of Carr Pro Rodeo.

Bareback rider Casey Colletti of Pueblo, CO rides Fancy Free of Classic Pro Rodeo.

Bareback rider Ryan Gray of Cheney, WA rides Good Time Charlie of Classic Pro Rodeo.

Bareback rider Steven Dent of Mullen, NE rides Hometown Girl of Classic Pro Rodeo.

Bareback rider Steven Peebles of Redmond, OR rides Scarlett’s Web of Classic Pro Rodeo.

Bareback rider Bobby Mote of Culver, OR rides Nutrena’s Wise Guy of Classic Pro Rodeo.

Dave Worsfold of Queensland, AU rides Danged If You Do of Corey & Lange Rodeo.

Bareback rider Matt Bright of Azle, TX rides Delta Force of Frontier Rodeo Co.

Bareback rider Brian Bain of Culver, OR rides Delta Ship of Frontier Rodeo Co.

Bareback rider Steven Dent of Mullen, NE rides Full Baggage of Frontier Rodeo Company.

Bareback rider Cody Demers of Kimberly, ID rides Hypnotic of Harry Vold Rodeo Co.

Bareback rider Clint Cannon of Waller, TX rides Freckled Doll of J Bar J.

Bareback rider Steven Peebles of Redmond, OR rides Bar Bandit of J Bar J.

Bareback Rider Steven Peebles of Redmond, OR rides First Light of J Bar J.

Bareback rider Clint Cannon of Waller, TX rides Freckled Doll of J Bar J.

Bareback rider Kaycee Feild of Payson, UT rides Molly of JK Rodeo Company.

Bareback rider Jason Havens of Prineville, OR rides Alley Trail of Kesler Championship Rodeo.

Bareback rider Jason Havens of Prineville, OR rides Mile Away of Kesler Rodeo.

Bareback rider Wes Stevenson of Lubbock, TX rides Inky of Korkow Rodeos.

Bareback rider Ryan Gray of Cheney, WA rides Delta Glamorous of Lancaster & Pickett.

Bareback rider Will Lowe of Canyon, TX rides Night Bells of Lancaster & Pickett.

Bareback rider Casey Colletti of Pueblo, CO rides Top Flight of Lancaster & Pickett.

Bareback rider Kaycee Feild of Payson, UT rides Magic Wars of Mosbrucker Rodeos.

Bareback rider Steven Dent of Mullen, NE rides Big Prize of Powder River Rodeo.

Caleb Bennett of Morgan, UT rides Assault of Rafter G Rodeo.
Please consider supporting my rodeo photography by buying my 80-page picture book “The Rodeo Trail”. You simply will not find better rodeo photography anywhere.
http://www.mattcohenphoto.com/rodeo-prints-and-books/

Bareback rider Clint Cannon of Waller, TX rides Hard Times of Southwick’s Rocky Mountain.

Bareback rider Brian Bain of Culver, OR rides RD Mercer of Stace Smith Pro Rodeo.

Bareback rider Jared Keylon of Uniontown, KS rides Big Surprise of Cervi Brothers Rodeo.

Bareback rider Steven Dent of Mullen, NE rides Peaches & Cream of Three Hills Rodeo.

Bareback rider Bobby Mote of Culver, OR rides Street Dance of Kesler Championship Rodeo.

Related Links:

More 2012 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Qualifiers:
Bareback
Bull Riding
Saddle Bronc
Steer Wrestling
Team Roping
Tie-Down Roping
Barrel Racing
Saddle Bronc Stock
Bull stock

My rodeo portfolio

My recently published rodeo pictures

***If you like these pictures, please consider buying my rodeo picture book The Rodeo Trail. 80 pages of unquestionably the absolute finest rodeo photography ever made.***

2012 WNFR: Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Bucking Stock: Saddle Bronc

mc — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:53:19 +0000

***If you like these pictures, please consider buying my rodeo picture book The Rodeo Trail. 80 pages of unquestionably the absolute finest rodeo photography ever made.***

Congratulations to the stock contractors whose saddle bronc stock was selected to buck at the 2012 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Here are some recent pictures of the 2012 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo saddle bronc stock. Good luck in Vegas to all!

Saddle bronc rider Brady Nicholes of Hoytsville, UT rides Hat Stomper of Rosser Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Cody DeMoss of Heflin, LA rides Flood Damage of Rosser Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Jake Huserik of Hemet, CA rides Long Walk Home of Flying U Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Rusty Allen of Eagle Mountain UT rides Lip Tricks of Growney Brothers Rodeo Co.

Saddle bronc rider Bryan Martinat of Marsing, ID rides Gypsy Soul of Growney Brothers Rodeo Co.

Saddle bronc rider Jesse Bail of Camp Crook, SD rides Broken Saddles of Flying Five Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Jake Wright of Milford, UT rides Spring Planting of Flying Five Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Chet Johnson of Sheridan, WY rides Spring Blues of Flying Five Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Kyle Thomson of Lundbrek, AB rides Sundance of Flying Five Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Cody DeMoss of Heflin, LA rides Feature Attraction of Big Bend Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Jacobs Crawley of College Station, TX rides Kool Toddy of Big Bend Rodeo.

Jesse James Kirby of Dodge City, KS rides Lunatic Fringe of Burch Rodeo Co.

Bareback rider Josi Young of Kimberly, ID rides Jim Dandy of Burch Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Taos Muncy of Corona, NM rides Hippy Chick of Burch Rodeo Company.

Saddle bronc rider Sterling Crawley of College Station, TX rides Frontier of Burch Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Jake Wright of Melford, UT rides Billings of Rafter G Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Sterling Crawley of College Station, TX rides Low Bucks of Rafter G Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Cody Wright of Milford, UT rides Eight Ball of Bar T Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Ty Atchison of Jackson, MO rides Round Robin of Bar T Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Ty Atchison of Jackson, MO rides Son of Sadie of Bar T Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Tyler Corrington of Hastings, MN rides Cat Power of Barnes Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Jesse Wright of Milford, UT rides Cimmaron Jack of Beutler & Son Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Jesse Kruse of Great Falls, MT rides Night Moves of Beutler & Son Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Justin Berg of Marwayne, AB rides Gross Beetle of Calgary Stampede.

Saddle bronc rider Ty Atchison of Jackson, MO rides Miss Congeniality of Powder River Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Jesse Wright of Milford, UT gets bucked off Frustrated Fletch of Cervi Championship Rodeo Co.

Saddle bronc rider Bradley Harter of Weatherford, TX rides Sacred Sacrifice of Cervi Championship Rodeo Co.

Saddle bronc rider Jacobs Crawley of College Station TX rides War Glory of Cervi Championship Rodeo Co.

Saddle bronc rider Chad Ferley of Oelrichs, SD rides Lock & Load of Andrews Rodeo.

Bareback rider Jason Havens of Prineville, OR rides Big Tex of Classic Pro Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Wade Sundell of Boxholm, IA rides Gold Coast of Classic Pro Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Bradley Harter of Weatherford, TX rides Lori Darling of Classic Pro Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Chuck Schmidt of Keldron, SD rides Griz of Frontier Rodeo Co.

Saddle bronc rider Jesse Wright of Milford, UT rides Chugwater Blue of Burns Rodeo Co.

Saddle bronc rider Wade Sundell of Boxholm, IA rides Medicine Woman of Frontier Rodeo Co.

Saddle bronc rider Jesse Wright of Milford, UT rides Tip Off of Frontier Rodeo Company.

Saddle bronc rider Bradley Harter of Weatherford, TX rides Wild Bill of Frontier Rodeo Co.

Saddle bronc rider Chuck Schmidt of Keldron, SD rides Painted Valley of Harry Vold Rodeo Co.

Saddle bronc rider Wade Sundell of Boxholm, IA rides Get Smart of Harvey Northcott Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Chad Ferley of Oelrichs, SD rides Special Time of J Bar J.

Saddle bronc rider Jim Berry of Hanna, AB rides Bald Lie of Wayne Vold Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Heith DeMoss of Heflin, LA rides Fraid Knot of Korkow Rodeos.

Saddle bronc rider Jesse Wright of Milford, UT rides Vanilla Twist of Korkow Rodeos.

Saddle bronc rider Cody DeMoss of Heflin, LA rides Lunatic Party of Outlawbuckers Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Chuck Schmidt of Keldron, SD rides NY Mega Millions of Painted Pony Championship Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Sam Spreadborough of Snyder, TX rides Lipstick & Whiskey of Powder River Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Chad Ferley of Oelrichs, SD rides Spade of Rafter H Rodeo Livestock.

Saddle bronc rider Jesse Kruse of Great Falls, MT rides Smoke Ring of Southwick’s Rocky Mountain.

Saddle bronc rider Ty Atchison of Jackson, MO rides Painted Feather of Smith Harper & Morgan.

Saddle bronc rider Cody Wright of Milford, UT rides Hickock of Stace Smith Pro Rodeos.

Saddle bronc rider Ty Atchison of Jackson, MO rides Pretty Boy of Stace Smith Pro Rodeos.

Saddle bronc rider Jesse Wright of Milford, UT rides Resistols Top Hat of Stace Smith Pro Rodeos.

Saddle bronc rider Heith DeMoss of Heflin, LA rides Chuckulator of Sutton Rodeos, Inc.

Saddle bronc rider Wade Sundell of Boxholm, IA rides Ned Pepper of Three Hills Rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Cody Wright of Milford, UT rides Awesome of Wayne Vold Rodeo Co.

Saddle bronc rider Jacobs Crawley of College Station, TX rides Eclypce of Wayne Vold Rodeo Co.

Saddle bronc rider Tyler Corrington of Hastings, MN rides Pedro of Wayne Vold Rodeo Co.

Related Links:

More 2012 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Qualifiers:
Bareback
Bull Riding
Saddle Bronc
Steer Wrestling
Team Roping
Tie-Down Roping
Barrel Racing
Bareback Stock
Bull stock

My rodeo portfolio

My recently published rodeo pictures

***If you like these pictures, please consider buying my rodeo picture book The Rodeo Trail. 80 pages of unquestionably the absolute finest rodeo photography ever made.***

2012 WNFR: Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Bucking Stock: Bulls

mc — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:53:15 +0000

***If you like these pictures, please consider buying my rodeo picture book The Rodeo Trail. 80 pages of unquestionably the absolute finest rodeo photography ever made.***

Congratulations to the stock contractors whose bulls were selected to buck at the 2012 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Here are some recent pictures of the 2012 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo bull stock. Good luck in Vegas to all!

Bull rider Ty Hamaker of Centenial, WY rides Curveball of Flying U Rodeo.

Bull rider A.J. Hamre of Chico, CA rides Cash Money of Growney Brothers Rodeo Co.

Bull rider Ty Hamaker of Centenial, WY rides Canadian Tuxedo of Growney Brothers Rodeo Co.

Bull rider Ardie Maier of Timber Lake, SD rides Glory Days of Growney Brothers Rodeo Co.

Bull rider Seth Glause of Cheyenne, WY rides Ugly Time of Growney Brothers Rodeo Co.

Bull rider Sammy Matthews of Springville, CA rides King of Cool of Growney Brothers Rodeo Co.

Bull rider J.W. Harris of Mullin, TX rides Zombie Zoo of Burch Rodeo Co.

Bull rider J.W. Harris of Mullin, TX rides Coopers Magic of Burns Rodeo Co.

Bull rider Chad Besplug of Claresholm, AB rides Whiskey Jack at the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, AB, Canada.

Bull rider J.W. Harris of Mullin, TX rides Body Works of Andrews Rodeo.

Bull rider Steve Woolsey of Payson, UT rides Jaw Bender of Andrews Rodeo.

Bull rider Wesley Silcox of Santaquin, UT rides Drop Time of Beutler & Son Rodeo.

Bull rider J.W. Harris of Mullin, TX rides Western Hauler’s Deal or No Deal of Rafter G Rodeo.

Bull rider Devon Mezei of Medicine Hat, AB rides Beaver of Calgary Stampede.

Bull rider Clayton Savage of Cheyenne, WY rides Rocket Man of Classic Pro Rodeo.

Bull rider Jacob Oâmara of Prairieville, LA rides Diamond Joe of Classic Pro Rodeo.

Bull rider Clayton Savage of Cheyenne, WY rides King of Hearts of Corey & Lange Rodeo.

Bull rider Wesley Silcox of Santaquin, UT rides Shepherd Hills Sod Buster of D&H Cattle.

Bull rider Jacob Oâmara of Prairieville, LA rides Iron Horse of Do or Die Pro Rodeo.

Bull rider Tyler Willis of Wheatland, WY rides Gangster of Five Star Rodeo.

Bull rider Cody Whitney of Asher, OK rides Mission Accomplished of Four L & Diamond S Rodeo.

Bull rider Chandler Bownds of Lubbock, TX rides Feeling So Fly of Frontier Rodeo Co.

Bull rider J.W. Harris of Mullin, TX rides Bailey Hou of Mo Betta Rodeo.

Bull rider J.W. Harris of Mullin, TX rides Red River of Mo Betta Rodeo.

Bull rider Chandler Bownds of Lubbock, TX rides Grey Squirrel of New Frontier Rodeo.

Bull rider Clayton Foltyn of El Campo, TX rides Road Hazard of Rafter G Rodeo.

Bull rider Tate Stratton of Kellyville, OK rides Wicked Spot of Rafter H Rodeo Livestock.

Bullfighter Darrell Diefenbach steps in to protect bull rider Chandler Bownds of Lubbock, TX after his ride on Crystal Springs Peach of Sutton Rodeos.

Bull rider Tony Mendes of Fruita, CO rides Cross Off of Western Rodeos.

Bull rider Steve Woolsey of Payson, UT rides Fat Lip of Wild Card Rodeo.

Bull rider Chandler Bownds of Lubbock, TX gets bucked off Pocket Change of Wild Card Rodeo.

Related Links:

More 2012 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Qualifiers:
Bareback
Bull Riding
Saddle Bronc
Steer Wrestling
Team Roping
Tie-Down Roping
Barrel Racing
Bareback Stock
Saddle Bronc stock

My rodeo portfolio

My recently published rodeo pictures

***If you like these pictures, please consider buying my rodeo picture book The Rodeo Trail. 80 pages of unquestionably the absolute finest rodeo photography ever made.***

2013 Think Tank Photo Catalog Cover

mc — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 16:23:19 +0000

Last year Ryu and I interviewed Kurt Rogers of Think Tank Photo for Big Lens Fast Shutter and I was trying to convey how completely Think Tank owns the sports photography market. I mentioned how at Oakland Raiders games, the dugouts are totally filled with Think Tank rollers, and Kurt said “Get a picture of that for our blog!” So I did, and they did.

2013 Think Tank Photo Catalog Cover

A couple of months ago, Kurt asked me if they could use the picture for the cover of their next catalog, and overnighted me a bunch of gear in exchange, and we had a deal. There’s a reason everyone I know uses Think Tank gear, so go check it out.

2012 WNFR: Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Qualifiers: Bareback

mc — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 20:32:46 +0000

***If you like these pictures, please consider buying my rodeo picture book The Rodeo Trail. 80 pages of unquestionably the absolute finest rodeo photography ever made.***

Congratulations to the cowboys who finished the season in the top 15 of the PRCA bareback standings. Here are some recent pictures of the 2012 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo bareback riding qualifiers. Good luck in Vegas to all!

Bareback rider Kaycee Feild of Payson, UT

Bareback rider Steven Dent of Mullen, NE

Bareback rider Will Lowe of Canyon, TX

Bareback rider J.R. Vezain of Cowley, WY

Bareback rider Bobby Mote of Culver, OR

Bareback rider Wes Stevenson of Lubbock, TX

Bareback rider Jessy Davis of Power, MT

Bareback rider Winn Ratliff of Leesville, LA

Bareback rider Caleb Bennett of Morgan, UT

Bareback rider Steven Peebles of Redmond, OR

Bareback rider Casey Colletti of Pueblo, CO

Bareback rider Matt Bright of Azle, TX

Bareback rider Brian Bain of Culver, OR

Bareback rider Justin McDaniel of Porum, OK

Bareback rider Jared Keylon of Uniontown, KS

Related Links:

More 2012 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Qualifiers:
Bull Riding
Saddle Bronc
Steer Wrestling
Team Roping
Tie-Down Roping
Barrel Racing
Bareback stock
Saddle bronc stock
Bull stock

My rodeo portfolio

My recently published rodeo pictures

***If you like these pictures, please consider buying my rodeo picture book The Rodeo Trail. 80 pages of unquestionably the absolute finest rodeo photography ever made.***

2012 WNFR: Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Qualifiers: Bull Riding

mc — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 20:32:33 +0000

***If you like these pictures, please consider buying my rodeo picture book The Rodeo Trail. 80 pages of unquestionably the absolute finest rodeo photography ever made.***

Congratulations to the cowboys who finished the season in the top 15 of the PRCA bull riding standings. Here are some recent pictures of the 2012 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo bull riding qualifiers. Good luck in Vegas to all!

Bull rider Cody Teel of Kountze, TX

Bull rider J.W. Harris of Mullin, TX

Bull rider Trey Benton III of Rock Island, TX

Kanin Asay of Powell, UT

Bull rider Seth Glause of Cheyenne, WY

Bull rider Ardie Maier of Timber Lake, SD

Bull rider Trevor Kastner of Ardmore, OK

Seth Glause & Trevor Kastner

Bull rider Cody Samora of Cortez, CO

Bull rider Tate Stratton of Kellyville, OK

Bull rider Shane Proctor of Grand Coulee, WA

Bull rider Cody Whitney of Asher, OK

Bull rider Beau Schroeder of China, TX

Bull rider Clayton Savage of Cheyenne, WY

Brett Stall of Detroit Lakes, MN

Bull rider Tag Elliott of Thatcher, UT

Related Links:

More 2012 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Qualifiers:
Bareback
Saddle Bronc
Steer Wrestling
Team Roping
Tie-Down Roping
Barrel Racing
Bareback stock
Saddle bronc stock
Bull stock

My rodeo portfolio

My recently published rodeo pictures

***If you like these pictures, please consider buying my rodeo picture book The Rodeo Trail. 80 pages of unquestionably the absolute finest rodeo photography ever made.***