August 2009
Photos for August 12, 2009
When the early rodeos were held on Payson’s Main Street, cars, trucks and wagons were circled around the contest area to create an arena for events.
Harry Shill showed off his singing talents at the induction dinner for the Payson Rodeo Legends Ring of Honor, performing with the Hashknife Band.
Popular country singer Brandon Shepard is scheduled to perform during rodeo weekend festivities at the Mazatzal Hotel and Casino.
Make sure and stop by the Payson Regional Medical Center’s Healthy Woman booth at the 125th Annual World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo and buy something pink to help in the fight against breast cancer.
Rodeo athletes, no matter what contests they compete in, must bring strength, balance, timing and more to their sport. Unlike other pro athletes, they have no guaranteed paydays, so they put their rodeo careers on the line every time they go into the arena, where injury is a real risk.
On occasion, the best scenes at the rodeo are the unexpected ones — mares and their foals enjoying the early morning sun and quiet at the Payson Event Center arena. Stock contractor employees and cowboys preparing for the events that await. If you have an opportunity during rodeo weekend, make a visit to PEC and see the other side of the contests and entertainment.
The annual Rodeo Parade will be at 9 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 15, starting at Green Valley Park and going east to Sawmill Crossing. Other events just for fun are the Ranch Rodeos at the Payson Event Center the evenings of Aug. 12 and 13, the Rodeo Reunion at Rumsey Park on Saturday afternoon and numerous dances around town.
Whether you’re a fan of fast and furious action, or just want to have some fun in the fine, fresh air of the Rim Country, the 125th Annual World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo will have just what you are looking for. Attend evening rodeo performances Friday and Saturday, Aug. 14 and 15, or head to the Payson Event Center during the afternoons of Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 15 and 16.
Then there are the horses that just don’t want to be ridden, even if it is only for a matter of seconds. And that is where the excitement rests, there are no guarantees of success for the cowboys and there is no predicting what an animal might decide to do at any second in the game.
Never underestimate the craftiness and pure stubbornness of the livestock at the rodeo. The animals are bred for the work they do to keep cowboy competitors on their toes. Sometimes a rope is tossed too far or not far enough or doesn’t catch the steer or calf just right.
Mutton bustin’ is one of the most entertaining events at the rodeo. The sheep are unpredictable and so are the youngsters who climb on board and often end up on the wrong side.
Mutton bustin’ is one of the most entertaining events at the rodeo. The sheep are unpredictable and so are the youngsters who climb on board and often end up on the wrong side.
The littlest contestants in the Payson rodeos are the youngsters who have the courage to try and ride wily and wooly sheep in the Mutton Bustin’ contest. The sheep are generally bigger than the contestants and weigh more too, so the youngsters are protected with helmets and vests.
Visit behind the scenes at the rodeo to see how the animals are cared for by the stock contractor. Many contractors treat their animals like they are family.
Compare the size of a cowboy to a steer, a bull or a horse; look at the well-toned muscles of the steer above. Who is the stronger of the two? Rodeo contractors provide the best feed and limited exposure to the action in a rodeo.
Saddle bronc riding evolved from the work needed to break wild horses for work on ranches in the Old West. Ranch hands would often gather and compete among themselves to see who could display the best style while riding wild horses.
Steer wrestling is another of rodeo’s contests that has its roots in ranch work. To treat or brand larger, juvenile cattle, it was often necessary to actually wrestle them to the ground.
Beauty, power, skill, speed and thrilling action await both contestants and audience members at the 125th Annual World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo in Payson starting with a 7 p.m. performance on Friday, Aug. 14, followed by two shows on Saturday at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., and the finale at 1 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 16.
While team roping is called rodeo’s only team event, that does not take into account the teamwork between the riders and their horses. Temperament and training both contribute to the success of a horse teamed with a rider in the arena and both can be seen in the fast action of the roping events and barrel racing.
Tie-down roping (formerly known as calf roping) can trace its roots back to the work of cowboys on ranches of the Old West. Calves that needed to be treated for one ailment or another or had to be branded, were roped and pulled down to the ground. Now, as then, the successful calf roper works as one with his horse to get into position with the calf and keep the rope taut as needed.
Bull riding is one of the most dangerous contests at any rodeo, not just because of the size of animals, but because they can get some air under there, which can make a fall a lot farther down.
As dangerous as bull riding is, you may see riders in protective gear, such as vests and helmets, as well as the more traditional garb of boots, chaps and cowboy hat. Everyone in the arena must wear long-sleeved shirts.
Bull riding is probably the most popular and most dangerous of all the contests in a rodeo. It pits a beast weighing a ton or more against a man in a wide, open setting where just about anything can happen and nothing is predictable.
Those guys in the funny clothes and makeup might look like clowns, but they have one of the most dangerous and demanding jobs in the rodeo arena — they are responsible for the safety of the cowboys who give the sometimes two-ton bulls a go for 8 seconds in bull riding competitions.
The talented women of the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association will take to the Payson Event Center arena the evenings of Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 12 and 13 with barrel racing, tie-down, team and breakaway roping competitions that will help them earn points toward participating in the WPRA Nationals in the fall. There will also be some special activities at Ranch Rodeos on those evenings.
Patriotism, pageantry and plain, old-fashioned fun await along historic old Main Street in Payson starting at 9 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 15 when the annual Rodeo Parade begins its meander from beautiful Green Valley Park to Sawmill Crossing. Come early to get a good spot to watch all the fun unfold.
Rodeo re-enactor from around the West take part in the annual Rodeo Parade held Saturday morning during the weekend of the World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo. The parade starts at 9 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 15 and will travel east from Green Valley Park to Sawmill Crossing.
Rodeo royalty from around the West take part in the annual Rodeo Parade held Saturday morning during the weekend of the World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo. The parade starts at 9 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 15 and will travel east from Green Valley Park to Sawmill Crossing.
Representatives from Shrine clubs from around the state regularly take part in the annual Payson Rodeo Parade. Most often, club members run the route in mini vehicles.
Representatives from Shrine clubs from around the state regularly take part in the annual Payson Rodeo Parade. The Shrine camels in one parade were quite a treat for the spectators.
Charter members of the Payson Rodeo Legends Ring of Honor inducted July 17, 2009 are (from left): Eddie Conway, Frank Kelly, Tammy Kelly, Nancy Sheppard, Penny Conway and Harry Shill. Also pictured, at far right, is Austin Haught, whose father attended the first Payson Rodeo in 1884.
Harry Shill was a showman in the arena and is now the official Rodeo Ambassador for the Town of Payson.
Eddie Conway’s years as a competitor were acknowledged with his induction into the Payson Rodeo Legends Ring of Honor.
Penny Conway was made a charter member of the Payson Rodeo Legends Ring on Honor on July 17.
Tammy Kelly was very happy to accept her plaque as a charter member of the Ring of Honor.
Nancy Sheppard was one of three women inducted into the Payson Rodeo Legends Ring of Honor July 17.
Nancy Sheppard is grand marshal of the 125th Annual World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo Parade, to be held at 9 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 15, starting at Green Valley Park and going east on Historic Old Main Street to Sawmill Crossing. Sheppard is a world famous trick rider and roper. She started her trick riding and roping in 1938 at age 9; at age 17, she performed in New York’s Madison Square Garden; she was inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 1991, the Cowboy Hall of Fame in 1996, and the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2003. In addition to wowing rodeo fans for years, Nancy performed for Georgio Armani in Milan, Italy. This beautiful black-haired lady has represented rodeo in many ways over the years.
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