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I was positioned in section 7 on the far side of the arena at the Ellensburg Rodeo. We like this location because it gives a great view of the action and offers cover for shade. This was really useful when it gets really hot or when it rains. We got the rain this year but the sun can be brual. when this bull and rider came out. The cowboy barely had time to settle before the bull started gyrating hard, twisting and changing direction so violently that staying centered was nearly impossible. Within moments the rider was thrown onto the dirt.
Bull riding is the headline event of most rodeos. The rider must stay on for eight seconds, holding a flat bull rope with one hand while the free hand stays clear of the bull, his body, and the ground. There is no saddle or reins—just balance, grip, and the ability to match an animal that can spin, kick, and drop its shoulder without warning. Judges score both the rider’s control and the bull’s difficulty. A bull that bucks and turns this aggressively is exactly the kind that ends rides early and leaves no score.
This frame catches the instant the ride ends: the bull still powering through its motion and the cowboy hitting the arena floor. It’s a raw, fast moment from one of the Pacific Northwest’s long-running professional rodeos, printed in-house on pearlescent metallic paper with archival pigment inks.
I was positioned in section 7 on the far side of the arena at the Ellensburg Rodeo. We like this location because it gives a great view of the action and offers cover for shade. This was really useful when it gets really hot or when it rains. We got the rain this year but the sun can be brual. when this bull and rider came out. The cowboy barely had time to settle before the bull started gyrating hard, twisting and changing direction so violently that staying centered was nearly impossible. Within moments the rider was thrown onto the dirt.
Bull riding is the headline event of most rodeos. The rider must stay on for eight seconds, holding a flat bull rope with one hand while the free hand stays clear of the bull, his body, and the ground. There is no saddle or reins—just balance, grip, and the ability to match an animal that can spin, kick, and drop its shoulder without warning. Judges score both the rider’s control and the bull’s difficulty. A bull that bucks and turns this aggressively is exactly the kind that ends rides early and leaves no score.
This frame catches the instant the ride ends: the bull still powering through its motion and the cowboy hitting the arena floor. It’s a raw, fast moment from one of the Pacific Northwest’s long-running professional rodeos, printed in-house on pearlescent metallic paper with archival pigment inks.