So What Did You Do On Your Day Off?

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America, bareback, bronc, bucking bronc, casey colletti, cowboy, cowboy life, day off, denver, extreme, extreme sports, horse, rodeo, rodeo all star, rodeo cowboy, sport, tough, untamed, weekend, western, wild

Probably not what Colorado bareback cowboy Casey Colletti did this past Saturday (April 13, 2019)…

Casey Colletti wasn’t in the lineup of competitors for the 2019 Rodeo All Star event held in Denver, CO over the weekend of April 12-13, 2019. But when one of the contestants couldn’t make it, rodeo organizers called Colletti at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday to see if he could drive up from Pueblo, CO and ride some bucking broncs against some of the best competition in the sport.

Forget chores and spring cleaning, Colletti grabbed his gear and arrived in time for the 2:30 p.m. afternoon rodeo. Not content to just show up, Colletti won the afternoon round with an 84-point ride to advance to Saturday night’s championship round where, you guessed it, he rode another bronc for 87 points to win the Saturday night round and move into a head to head match-up against three-time PRCA world champion Will Lowe for a chance at an extra $5,000.00 and the 2019 Rodeo All Star title.

“I’m just happy to be here,” said a smiling Colletti after winning the round on Saturday night and getting ready to ride against Will Lowe for the title. “Being able to go against three time world champion Will Lowe in a shoot out, head to head format.  This is the kind of stuff we live for, you know what I mean?”

In the head to head round, Colletti beat his earlier scores with an 88-point ride on his third bucking bronc of the day. That’s right. Not one bucking bronc, which would send most people crawling to their chiropractor, but three bucking broncs in a single afternoon and evening. Even though his impressive 88 points in the head to head round fell short of Will Lowe’s stunning 90-point ride for the Rodeo All Star title, it is safe to say Colletti’s planned day off was a bit more productive than any of ours.

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Rodeo Action at the 2014 National Western Stock Show

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#lincolnrogers, 2014, action, championship, country, cowboy, cowboys, extreme sports, nationalwesternstockshow, rodeo, rural, sports, west, western

Here is my video made to accompany my story and article in The Fence Post magazine about the championship round of rodeo at the 2014 National Western Stock Show. I hope you enjoy!

~ Video copyright Lincoln Rogers, 2014 – Al rights reserved.

Championship Rodeo at the 2014 National Western Stock Show

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action, champion, champions, championship, colorado, cort scheer, cowboy, cowboys, cowgirl, cowgirls, dean gorsuch, denver, event, extreme, extreme sports, lincoln rogers, mary walker, National Western Stock Show, richmond champion, rodeo, sport, sports, trevor brazile, west, western, western event

The championship round of rodeo at the 2014 National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado was full of action and enthusiastic fans in the stands (a near capacity crowd of 8,279).  Here is my story and some photos from the event that have been published in The Fence Post magazine.

Championship Rodeo at the 2014 National Western Stock Show

Have a great day and don’t let your horse come home without ya!

Lincoln

You can find Lincoln’s Fine Art Photography online here

Wild West Show at the 2014 National Western Stock Show

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America, American, American West, bobby kerr, buffalo bill, colorado, country, cowboy, cowboys, cowgirl, cowgirls, denver, denver colorado, elizabeth clavett, entertainment, frontier history, gary trichten, guns, historic, history, horse, horses, lincoln rogers, max reynolds, national western, National Western Stock Show, NWSS, old west, rural, stock show, tradition, traditional, west, western, wild west, wild west show

http://youtu.be/pds2PMCUEIU

This is a video compilation of my (Lincoln Rogers) photography, interviews and video clips regarding the Wild West Show at the 2014 National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado.

All images, interviews and videos are copyright Lincoln Rogers, 2014 – All rights reserved.

 

You can find Lincoln’s Fine Art Photography gallery online here

Leaving Las Vegas – Rodeo Style

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#photography, addiction, cowboy, cowboys, economic impact, fine art photography, Florida, gambling, las vegas, lincoln rogers, national Finals Rodeo, NFR, Oklahoma City, organized crime, osceola, prostitution, revenue, rodeo, rodeo photography, sport, Vegas, west, western, WNFR, Wrangler, wrangler national finals rodeo

And they call the thing rodeo…

http://lincoln-rogers.artistwebsites.com/featured/the-usual-suspects-lincoln-rogers.html

It appears the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR or NFR) may be leaving Las Vegas after 30 years and head to Osceola, FL.  Multiple news reports discuss the possibility:

http://twistedrodeo.com/2013/12/16/las-vegas-could-lose-a-great-thing/

http://m.reviewjournal.com/news/nevada-and-west/national-finals-rodeo-leave-las-vegas

The NFR moved from Oklahoma City nearly 30 years ago to Las Vegas and many people thought it would never work.  Now it might move to Florida and, again, many people think it won’t work.  Florida is offering four million dollars more than the current Vegas contract.  That extra four million means more money for the contestants, which is where it should go.  It is estimated Vegas reaps about ninety million dollars over the ten-day event that draws between 150,000-200,000 people to the city.  It’s no wonder Florida is making a serious run to be the future host.

Personally, I’ve never attended the NFR in Vegas because I’m leery of the underbelly of Vegas – organized crime, prostitution, gambling addiction, etc.  I once turned down a good job offer because it would have required me to be in Vegas for a couple of weeks every year.  Vegas can try all it wants to paint itself as “family friendly,” but even its motto and commercials of “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” contradicts that effort.  It’s just a personal thing to not want to be there.  I understand plenty of people enjoy Vegas and don’t see a downside to the city.

The thing is, I write for several magazines that would love to have stories and photos from the NFR, but I could never bring myself to go.  If it does move out of Vegas, there’s a good chance I’ll finally attend and get those stories and photos their way!

Have a great day and don’t let your horse come home without ya!

Lincoln

Check out Lincoln’s online gallery of Fine Art Photography here

A Life Untamed (Cowboy Poetry)

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#photography, American Frontier, beef, cattle, cold, cowboy, cowboy hat, cowboy hats, cowboy poem, cowboy poetry, cowboys, dedicated, fine art photography, herd, horse, horses, Latigo, lincoln rogers, market, massive, mother nature, nature, old west, poem, poetry, ranch, ranching, ride, saddles, spurs, tough, toughness, Visual Arts, weather, west, western

Sitting here watching the thermometer hover at zero degrees today brought to mind the toughness and spirit of the cowboys who used to drive the massive cattle herds to market rain, sleet or snow in the old west.  Then I caught myself, because contemporary cowboys are still working the massive cattle herds no matter what mother nature throws their way.

This cowboy poem of mine is dedicated to cowboys past and present and was published in 2005 by the good folks at CowboyPoetry.com.

A Life Untamed (by Lincoln Rogers, 2005)

Dedicated to the working cowboy – past and present

The western trails bore Longhorn,
Over oceans of grass Plain,
And Cowboys rode like captains,
Through the waves of sun and rain.

4-inch brims and rowelled spurs,
Along with chaps and Latigo,
Matching leather on face and saddle,
Of a seasoned, working pro.

Some say the era of the Cowboy,
Is but a faded dream at best,
But that independent spirit,
Remains the heartbeat of the West.

Miles removed from concrete jungles,
On open vistas kissed by sun,
Modern Cowboys ride the range,
Just like those days the West was won.

So word and song is raised in honor,
To everyone who bears the flame;
Who stokes the fire of admiration,
For a life no one will tame.

© 2005, Lincoln Rogers
This poem may not be reprinted or reposted without the author’s written permission.

Have a great day and don’t let your horse come home without ya!

Lincoln

Check out Lincoln’s online gallery of Fine Art Photography.

Honorable Mention (Cowboy Poetry)

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badge, bat masterson, billy the kid, cattle, cattle drive, cowboy, cowboy poetry, cowboys, cowpokes, fine art photography, honor, jesse james, lawmen, lincoln rogers, old west, Pard, poem, poems, poetry, ranch, range, respect, saddle, west, western, wyatt earp

I thought I’d leave you with a cowboy poem I wrote back in 2003 and which was published online by the good folks at CowboyPoetry.com, the best dad-gum cowboy poetry website in the world.

Honorable Mention (by Lincoln Rogers, 2003)

I hear the name of “Cowboy,”
Thrown about the world today.
By the sneer on those who say it,
It ain’t respect they aim to pay.

Their voices drip with insult,
As they mock those of the West.
The ones in times of trouble,
Who weren’t afraid to face a test.

Every time I hear the term,
It does remind me of those men.
Sweat and blood spilled on the earth,
Before they’d saddle up again.

There were lawmen with a badge,
Like Wyatt Earp and Masterson.
Or Jesse James and Billy the Kid,
Two outlaw heroes on the run.

But the image I can’t shake,
Its picture branded in my mind.
Is horse and rider on the trail,
Through day and night and storm unkind.

Those ‘pokes did work I can’t imagine,
Riding mounts close as a brother.
Running cattle through the plains,
And lookin’ out for one another.

I’ve read their tales and history,
And I believe the words are true.
Men tough enough to work the range,
Were not the many but the few.

So when you speak that sacred title,
About a Pard with boots and hat.
To honor those who rode before us,
Make sure you smile when you say that.

Have a great day and don’t let your horse come home without ya!

Lincoln

You can find Lincoln’s online Fine Art Photography here

Cyber or Cyborg or…?

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#photography, angles, bible, bible verse, borg, Christian, Christianity, Christmas, christmas ornament, christmas season, collective, cowboy, cowboys, cyber monday, cyborg, deals, fine art photography, first Christmas, Gloria in excelsis Deo, God, Gospel of Luke, Holiday, holiday season, horse, horses, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lincoln rogers, online shopping, ornament, santa, santa claus, shopping, star trek, star trek the next generation, Starting pistol, west, western

“Wait… it’s a Monday set aside for ME?”

Yep… it’s Cyber Monday today.  Now, whether that means it’s a Monday strictly set aside for Cyborgs (or maybe just the Borg – does the “collective” even celebrate Christmas?) or if it means it’s the starter’s pistol, so to speak, for everyone to start their online frenzy of shopping, I’ll let you decide.

Me?  It gives me another chance to wish everyone a Merry Christmas in a cowboy kind of way.  So, while you are straining your eyes staring at computer monitors for the best deal EVER or if you are running a diagnostic sub-routine on your implanted cyborg systems, take some time today to relax, breathe and remember to connect with the what this season is really all about.  If I recall right, a crowd of angels shouted it on the very first Christmas.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Luke 2:14

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/christmas-rides-a-horse-lincoln-rogers.html

Have a great day and don’t let your horse come home without ya!

Lincoln

PS – Speaking of Best Deals EVER!  My entire gallery of Fine Art Photography is available at a discount of 33% off my markup (the discount applies to my markup, but not the cost of frame, canvas, etc).  Just use the code  YJFGYV during the secure checkout process for your 33% discount.  The discount is good through the middle of December.

Brain Freeze…

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#photography, Cheyenne, Cheyenne Frontier Days, cover photo, cowboy, Fence Post, lincoln rogers, magazine, rodeo, summer, summertime, west, western, Wyoming

It’s funny how the mind can work…

It’s a cold, snowy day outside, so my brain went searching for memories of warmer days.  Of course, warm days meant summertime – summertime meant rodeo – and then rodeo meant the world famous Cheyenne Frontier Days – which meant thinking back on the time I spent this year photographing that rodeo for a magazine or two.

Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD) has a “photographer’s pit” at the back of their large outdoor arena.  It’s like a concrete bunker where the professional photographers covering the rodeo walk down a number of steps to enter.  The location brings us eye level with the arena sand, which makes for some spectacular photo opportunities.  I was able to get a number of shots this year that I really liked, and a couple of them were turned into cover photos for The Fence Post magazine’s regional issues – one for Colorado and the other for Nebraska.  Since I was thinking of them, I thought I’d share them here, as well.

(Above) Tie Down Roper Scott Kormos pocketed $19,462 from the 2013 CFD, making him the rodeo’s top money winner.

(Above) Nebraska saddle bronc cowboy Cort Scheer earned 4th place overall after successfully riding Thunderstruck in the championship round.

See how the brain can work?  It’s freezing outside, but I’ve got summertime memories to keep things warm.

Have a great day and don’t let your horse come home without ya!

Lincoln

Check out Lincoln’s online gallery of Fine Art Photography.

A new beginning…

Tags

#photography, American West, Cheyenne Frontier Days, lincoln rogers, National Western Stock Show, new beginning, west, western, Western United States, yellowstone national park

My previous photo posted earlier of the American Bison mother and calves resting in the warm sunshine of Yellowstone National Park shows off the optimism and hope always created in the presence of new beginnings.

Like this blog…

Yep… this is a new beginning for me.  I had another blog, but just couldn’t get it going regularly and always felt it was unwieldy.  So I’m starting this new blog and, as a result, I have that “new beginning” optimism about the direction this will take and the new places it might lead.  My passion is the American West.  It isn’t strictly confined to the American West, but I enjoy the people, places and events I find/experience throughout the region, and I photograph and write about them for a number of magazines.  I even work on some of my favorite photos and offer them for sale in an online fine art gallery.

The main thing is… I love what I do.  Whether it is photographing the stunning peaks of the Grand Teton Mountains in Wyoming for a fine art print, capturing the excitement and energy of world famous rodeos like Cheyenne Frontier Days or the National Western Stock Show, or even putting into words on the pages of a magazine the experiences of people throughout the rural and agricultural west, I… wait for it… love what I do!

As a result, I hope you will love keeping tabs on what I do through this blog and that it might even spark your own imagination toward the American West.

Have a great day and don’t let your horse come home without ya!

Lincoln Rogers