Bucking horse rider Bryson Woody poses before the action starts.
For more than 50 years, patrons of the rodeo have gathered to watch the rough-and-tumble events, such as bull riding.
Kenly Treadway, Kenny’s daughter, dons patriotic attire to ride Old Glory around the arena during the national anthem.
The rodeo gets underway as summer sunsets over the Madison County Fairgrounds offer a feast of light for the photographer.
In addition to the national anthem, the rodeo’s competition rounds are prefaced by a group prayer that asks for safety for the riders and animals.
Charlie Treadway, Kenny’s nine-year-old son, participates in calf riding as part of the family’s fourth generation of rodeo riders.
Garett Wilson—aka Cow Patty—the rodeo’s trusty clown.
A bucking horse rider tries his luck out of the chute.
Here, a father helps his son suit up in protective gear before a potentially bruising ride.
An organizer preps a list matching riders with their assigned bulls.
A friend helps secure a rider’s helmet.
Harold, a seasoned bucking horse rider, gears up in the tense minutes before his turn in the saddle.
A moment of solo prayer before a ride.
Sometimes, rodeo isn’t exactly what you’d call good, clean fun. Here, a chute dogger struggles to wrestle a bull to the muddy ground.
Of course, there are worse things than mud ...
Depending on the event, participants at the Madison County Championship Rodeo range in age from five to 60. But the rough stock categories like bronc-and bull-riding are braved mostly by 18 to 30-year-olds.
Bloodied but unbroken, this young bull rider knows what comes with the territory of authentic rodeo.
