Currently I’m working on a personal project about teenage and pre-teen girls competing in rodeo in the DMV area. Rodeo is typically thought of as a male-dominated sport and disparities certainly still exist in the professional arena. However, more and more girls and competing in events typically reserved for boys.
The story arc around this project is still forming and and it will likely keep shifting throughout the rodeo season, although my work has been postponed by the coronavirus pandemic. These frames represent some of my favorite images from the project so far.
Taleah Brown, 15, looks off into the distance during the Wellsville Frontier Days Rodeo in Wellsville, PA, on August 31, 2019. Taleah lives in Washington, D.C. but she competes for the Maryland High School Rodeo team.
Riders from around Virginia warm up before a rodeo exhibition at the Virginia State Fair on October 5, 2019.
Emily Lamb, 11, lets her horse smell her hands before competing in the Howard County Rodeo in Howard County, MD, on October 25, 2019. Emily competes for the Virginia junior high team.
Hannah Revere, 15, poses for a portrait before competing in a rodeo event at Rocky Oak Farm in Powhatan, VA.
Aspen Ladd, 15, catches a piece of popcorn in her mouth while waiting for an event with her fellow Virginia High School Rodeo teammates at the Virginia State Fair.
Emily Lamb, 11, prepares to compete in the Howard County Rodeo in Howard County, MD, on October 25, 2019.
Taleah Brown, 15, prepares to ride during a practice in Brandywine, MD on September 18, 2019.
Hannah Revere, left, and her sister Macy Revere, 12, prepare their horses before competing in the Virginia State Fair rodeo on October 5, 2019.
A rider tries to slow her horse down after competing in pole bending at the Wellsville Frontier Days Rodeo in Wellsville, PA, on August 31, 2019.