Deer Trail Rodeo
Many view rodeo as strictly an American sport, but its roots date back to the sixteenth-century with Spanish ranchers and Mexican ranch hands (vaqueros) who would combine a mixture of wrangling and bullfighting. Rodeo stems from Spanish word 'roundup.' The vaqueros passed along their skills to the American Cowboys after The Civil War which caught on in the later 1800s with famous touring Wild West shows led by larger than life Buffalo Bill Cody in the Northeastern cities. However, back west rodeos were happening earlier. I decided to experience one of them. Deer Trail Rodeo in eastern Colorado claims to have hosted the world's first rodeo on July 4, 1869. I knew very little about this way of life, and I wanted to learn more. I came away with a deeper appreciation of both riders and animals of the raw power, true grit and adept athleticism that defines rodeo.
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