National Western Complex Construction

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#photography, colorado, construction, denver, expansion, lincoln rogers, national western, national western center, national western complex, National Western Stock Show, photography, photos, stock show, stockyards events center, west, western

I had the pleasure of being able to visit the National Western Center/Complex in Denver, CO and take photos of the construction progress, as well as talk to a number of the spokespeople for the entities involved in the construction and expansion of the National Western Center grounds and buildings. Most people will know the location as the site where the historic National Western Stock Show takes place every January.

Construction in June 2021 at the National Western Center/Complex in Denver, CO.

What most people don’t know is how massive the scope and size of the expansion and construction project is. After a couple of hours on site, talking to the awesome spokespeople and taking photos of the construction progress, I felt like trying to absorb the information in front of me was akin to drinking water through a firehose!

There is so much going on, beyond just getting the new Stockyards Events Center ready for 2022’s National Western Stock Show and moving ahead with other construction. I have a lot of interview on tape and will be transcribing it ASAP.

I can’t wait to write a number of magazine articles about the progress of the 1.3 billion dollar expansion project and what it means for January 2022 at the National Western Stock Show.

It is impressive! More to come regarding this in the future.

You can find Lincoln Rogers on the conservative,
Pro-America social media platform USA.Life
https://usa.life/LincolnRogersWritingPhotography

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Clowning Around in Elizabeth Rodeo!

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#photography, barrelman, clown, colorado, comedy, cowboy, cowboys, elizabeth Stampede, entertain, entertaining, funny, humor, JW Winklepleck, lincoln rogers, rodeo, rodeo clown, the fence post magazine, west, western

My latest article with photography is published now on The Fence Post magazine’s website.

It is about the always entertaining rodeo clown, JW Winklepleck, and his thoughts on entertaining a packed house during the 2021 Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo in Elizabeth, CO.

https://www.thefencepost.com/news/clowning-around-at-2021-elizabeth-stampede/

Wearing his typical fashion, Colorado-based rodeo clown JW Winklepleck banters back and forth with the rodeo announcer during a comedy skit to entertain the sold out Sunday afternoon crowd at the 2021 Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo.

In my opinion, after covering a lot of rodeo performances over the last 15+ years, JW is one of the funniest and most spontaneous rodeo funnymen I have had the pleasure of watching.

I hope you enjoy the article.

You can find Lincoln Rogers on the conservative,
Pro-America social media platform USA.Life
https://usa.life/LincolnRogersWritingPhotography

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Yucca Flowers…

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#photography, beauty, bloom, blossom, colorado, flower, flowers, forgive, forgiveness, gorw, landscape, lincoln rogers, people, plant, west, western, yucca, yucca flower, yucca flowers, yucca plant

Here in semi-arid Colorado, the Yucca plant can be a nuisance. Oh, I see them often for sale on landscape business lots and in lawn and garden stores, but what people seem to want to purchase to plant around their suburban lawns, we will shovel out or mow down because there are too many.

Honestly, they grow out of control, take up space in our pastures that the horses could graze, and their blades are razor sharp. Yep, I have the scars on my arms and legs to prove it.

But then they flower and… well, then everything is forgiven.

Yucca plants flowering in June, 2021. The soft petals coming out in Colorado.

Kind of reminds me of people. There can seem to be too many, they can be bristly, sharp, and painful, and might even be seen as a nuisance.

But then they flower… and everything is forgiven.

Help your family and friends to flower; to blossom and grow where they are planted. Heck, even yourself. You never know… you might be a Yucca in someone else’s eyes.

You can find Lincoln Rogers on the conservative,
Pro-America social media platform USA.Life
https://usa.life/LincolnRogersWritingPhotography

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Flag Day 2021

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#photography, America, American, American Flag, bald eagle, blue, continental congress, eagle, flag, flag day, history, lincoln rogers, National Bird, Old Glory, patriot, patriotic, red, red white and blue, stars and stripes, United States of America, usa, white

Today is Flag Day in the United States of America — June 14, 2021.

So what else could I possibly do but put together a patriotic American Flag image out of several of my photos in honor of the day?

Proud to be an American — Patriotic image put together as a composite from Lincoln Rogers images. All rights reserved, Lincoln Rogers. 2021

Do you know how Flag Day in the USA started? Here is the detail…

Flag Day in the USA commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States on June 14, 1777, by resolution of the Second Continental Congress. The Flag Resolution, passed on June 14, 1777, stated: “Resolved, That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

And now you know! Happy Flag Day fellow Americans.

You can find Lincoln Rogers on the conservative,
Pro-America social media platform USA.Life
https://usa.life/LincolnRogersWritingPhotography

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Latest Published Work is Now Online!

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#photography, barrel racing, barrels, colorado, cowboy, cowboys, elizabeth Stampede, elizabeth stampede rodeo, horse, horses, lincoln rogers, photo spread, photos, race, rodeo, Shali Lord, speed, the fence post, the fence post magazine, west, western

You can find my latest photo spread link that was published online regarding the record setting 2021 Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo on the website of The Fence Post magazine.

Colorado barrel racer Shali Lord sprinted for the timers on Can Man after the third barrel on her way to a 16.30-second time on Sunday afternoon and 4th place in the 2021 Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo.

I hope you enjoy the photos! I know I enjoy sending submissions to the good people over at The Fence Post. They are great to work with.

You can find Lincoln Rogers on the conservative,
Pro-America social media platform USA.Life
https://usa.life/LincolnRogersWritingPhotography

A link to USA.Life.
I like it there!

The Bottom Dropped Out!

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bible, breakdown, God, lawn mower, lawnmower, matthew 6:33, mow, mowing, problem, relationships, repair, riding lawn mower, riding mower, time, verse

I hate it when a project is going along smoothly, and then… BOOM. The bottom drops out.

I was sitting the saddle of my riding lawnmower and cruising the easements between our property and the neighbors. It was a nice evening and the grass was cutting well and then… BOOM!

The deck drive belts that propel the blades gave up the ghost. One belt blew out and the other was in bad shape. The original manufacturer belts were made of kevlar, so they lasted almost 20 years. I really can’t complain about that, but the easements with their strips of long grass looked like a 5-year-old got hold of a pair of scissors and cut his own hair. And I had to leave them like that.

Image by Lincoln Rogers, all rights reserved.

I’ve performed most of the maintenance on our riding lawnmower myself, but I’ve never had to replace the deck drive belts. First time for everything, right?

Yeah, well… it took a few days of figuring.

Figuring out where to get replacement belts for a decades old riding mower. Figuring out how to detach the mower deck and bring it out from under the mower. Figuring out how to replace the belts in the correct alignment. Figuring.

What should have been 3+ hours of a job well done turned into 3+ days, instead. It was my bad. I hadn’t been regularly checking the status of those drive belts on my riding mower. They had been doing just fine for about 20 years, so I took them for granted. If I had stopped to take time and examine them on a regular basis, I would have realized they weren’t in good shape.

Sometimes issues in life are just like that. We think things are going along smooth and then… BOOM. The bottom drops out. And most times, it is our bad. We didn’t stop and take time to examine the important things in our life. We took them for granted.

Maybe this mechanical issue with my riding lawnmower will remind me to stop on a regular basis and examine the more important things in my life. Like my relationships — with God, with my wife, and with my friends. Am I spending the time to keep those relationships in good shape?

Or will the bottom drop out?

God knows what the important things in life are, and exactly what we need. Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

You can find Lincoln Rogers on the conservative,
Pro-America social media platform USA.Life
https://usa.life/LincolnRogersWritingPhotography

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The Animal Athletes

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#photography, action, American, animal athletes, athletes, broncs, bucking, colorado, country, cowboy, cowboys, elizabeth Stampede, horse, horses, lincoln rogers, livestock, rodeo, rural, sport, stock contractor, summit pro rodeo, summit pro rodeo company, tough, west, western

As a photographer, I am not shooting a rodeo just for the cowboys and cowgirls. No siree.

I love photographing the animal athletes at least as much, if not more, than the contestants.

Just don’t tell the contestants I said that! 🙂

Summit Pro Rodeo Company always — and I mean A-L-W-A-Y-S — brings incredible animal athletes to the rodeos where they provide the stock. I know I will get great photographs when I see their name on the information sheets.

It wasn’t just the rodeo cowboys that were the athletes inside the arena at the 2021 Elizabeth Stampede. The bucking stock brought by Summit Pro Rodeo Company, like Lakota Park bucking off Mason Snyder, was also worth the price of admission.

I love shooting the bucking broncs no matter if the cowboy is aboard or not!

Great to see ALL the athletes taking part in the 2021 Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo in Elizabeth, CO. There is a reason that small town rodeo has won so many awards. Summit Pro Rodeo Company is certainly a part of those reasons…

You can find Lincoln Rogers on the conservative,
Pro-America social media platform USA.Life
https://usa.life/LincolnRogersWritingPhotography

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The Last Remaining…

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#photography, America, American Flag, colorado, cowboy, cowboys, honor, horse, horses, lincoln rogers, Marine Mounted Color Guard, Marines, National Anthem, Old Glory, patriot, patriotic, patriotism, respect, rodeo, tradition, usa, west, western

Those words sound almost mournful. The last remaining…

That means there used to be more, maybe even a plentiful supply.

But now there is one.

Drawing their sabres, the last Marine Mounted Color Guard presents the colors as ready for the singing of the National Anthem and the kickoff of rodeo action before a sold-out Saturday night crowd (June 05) at the 2021 Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo in Elizabeth, CO.

The last remaining Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard participated again in the 2021 Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo in Elizabeth, CO. If you appreciate having Old Glory honored with a bit of pomp and circumstance, you would love to see how these Marines ride in with the colors and present them for the singing of the National Anthem.

It is awesome. They are awesome.

And they are the last remaining…

You can find Lincoln Rogers on the conservative,
Pro-America social media platform USA.Life
https://usa.life/LincolnRogersWritingPhotography

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What a Rodeo! What a Weekend!

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#photography, colorado, cowboy, cowboys, crowds, Elizabeth, elizabeth colorado, elizabeth Stampede, horse, horses, lincoln rogers, rodeo, shopping, vendors, west, western

The 2021 Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo witnessed record crowds over the June 04-06 run of its bull riding and PRCA performances. For the the first time in its 56 years of history, all performances were sold out, including the standing room only areas. The vendors surrounding the outside of the arena grounds were pretty happy!

With every performance sold out throughout the three-day rodeo, Vendor Alley at the 2021 Elizabeth Stampede saw a record amount of people shopping the tents that were set up outside the entrance to the rodeo arena.

One thing has to be said. Without the constant and tireless efforts of 250+ volunteers throughout the year, the Elizabeth Stampede would not be the award winning event that it is. Hats off to the volunteers, committee members, and board members that make it possible every year, but who stepped up in 2021 and created a record-setting venue.

A big part of the 2021 Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo’s crew of volunteers gathered for a victory photo after the completion of the last rodeo performance on Sunday afternoon (June 06). 2021 was a record setting year for attendance at the award winning rode in Elizabeth, CO.

On a personal note, I have been covering the stampede for publication since the early 2000’s. After shooting tens of thousands of photos and interviewing hundreds of people during that time, I still had no idea how much I would miss being around all the quality people who make this rodeo so great until it was cancelled in 2020 and started back up again, this year. It almost felt like arriving to a reunion.

Good people… good friends… FAMILY.

You can find Lincoln Rogers on the conservative,
Pro-America social media platform USA.Life
https://usa.life/LincolnRogersWritingPhotography

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A New Rodeo Sport is Born?

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#photography, colorado, cowboy, cowboys, elizabeth Stampede, entertain, funny, horse, horses, JW Winklepleck, lincoln rogers, rodeo, rodeo clown, west, western

When you go to a rodeo, you know you will be entertained by the action inside the arena, but a good barrelman/rodeo clown can also light up the crowd.

The award winning Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo in Elizabeth, CO has a great funnyman in JW Winklepleck. He provides color and flair to every performance and doesn’t trot out the same stale jokes. He does a great job of helping the audience have an even better time at each performance.

Rdoeo barrelman J.W. Winklepleck entertains the sold-out crowd and the assisting pickup man by starting a new sport of Arena Boarding on Saturday afternoon at the 2021 Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo in Elizabeth, CO.

In front of Saturday afternoon’s sold out crowd, Winklepleck determined to “start a new extreme sport of Arena Boarding.” With the assistance of an amused pickup man, Winklepleck boarded the arena sand behind the true meaning of horsepower.

A good time was had by all.

You can find Lincoln Rogers on the conservative,
Pro-America social media platform USA.Life
https://usa.life/LincolnRogersWritingPhotography

A link to USA.Life.
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