NPR

High School Bull Riders And Barrel Racers Barnstorm Wyoming For Rodeo Championship

"You get an adrenaline rush from it," says Zane Hall, a 17-year-old bull rider and steer wrestler from Australia. He took three airplanes with his dad to compete.
The National High School Rodeo Association's finals rodeo is underway in Rock Springs, Wyo. "We have kids from 43 states, five Canadian provinces, Australia and Mexico," says Gary Hawkes, an official with the association. (Courtesy of Acentric Rodeo and Photography)

Dark clouds gathered Sunday afternoon in the Red Desert a few hours before the stadium lights went on at the outdoor arena in Rock Springs, Wyoming.

The storm looked ominous — but it didn’t disrupt the “largest rodeo in the world,” according to Gary Hawkes with the National High School.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR4 min readInternational Relations
Hamas Says Latest Cease-fire Talks Have Ended. Israel Vows A Military Operation Soon
The latest round of Gaza cease-fire talks ended in Cairo. Meanwhile, Israel closed its main crossing point for delivering badly needed humanitarian aid for Gaza after Hamas attacked it.
NPR2 min read
Jerry Seinfeld And The Fraught History Of Comedians And 'Political Correctness'
Jerry Seinfeld has the become the latest in a string of public figures to blame "political correctness" for the death of comedy (among other societal ills). But what does the term actually refer to?
NPR2 min readDiscrimination & Race Relations
U Of Mississippi Opens Probe Over Hostile Protest That Involved Racist Taunts
Videos of Thursday's incident at the school were shared on social media showing heated confrontations between pro-Palestinian protesters and a larger group of counterprotesters.

Related Books & Audiobooks