You would be hard pressed to find a more American form of entertainment than the rodeo. Professional cowboy athletes participate in the PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association) throughout the country attending events that are put on within the 12 rodeo circuits that exist today. Even in the northeast. The Frontier Circuit handles this part of the country with events in Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.
Probably the premier venue is the Cowtown Rodeo in Salem County, NJ near Woodstown. This is a family owned business that has been in continuous operation (with the exception of the WWII years) since 1929. Four generations of the Harris family have been putting on this weekly event that occurs from Memorial Day through Labor Day each year.
This is down to earth entertainment where you will find the American Flag proudly displayed and the National Anthem sung before each performance. This is family entertainment so there are kids in attendance; most wearing cowboy hats and boots with their jeans and checked shirts and a nice rodeo belt buckle. The rodeo is held outdoors, rain or shine, beginning at 7:30 pm. The fading daylight is augmented with stadium lighting and the event can go on until 11:00.
When I heard about Cowtown, I decided that one of my personal projects in 2011 would be this rodeo. Let's face it, I grew up with John Wayne and, during the '50s, there were as many as 20 westerns on TV. My cousin Arnold, a nice Italian boy from Queens, NY, got interested in rodeo and I believe that he participated at Cowtown riding bulls and bare-back broncs. So I do have a family tie to this place.
Grant Harris, the current patriarch of the Harris Family
On the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, I went down to photograph there for the first time. I had met the current owners the previous week and arranged a pass that got me just about everywhere I needed to be. But I will need to go down again two or three more times to get all the shots I need and portraits of some individual participants. I will be interviewing seven of them to produce a book on Cowtown. Hopefully, I can sell it to a publishing house and use it in my portfolio.
I am looking forward to my next couple of trips so I can complete the photo coverage of this great rodeo. If you can get there, go. You will have a great time.
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