Moving from New York, I knew that Arizona was going to be a whole new world. Still, I figured the old western culture was just a cliche of the past. Nowadays, the true blue Western culture seems buried because of the recent drastic development of land in Arizona, but events like the Parada del Sol Rodeo keep the Western spirit alive.
The 53rd Annual Parada del Sol Rodeo at WestWorld in Scottsdale was my first time attending a rodeo. Dressed in stilettos and jeans far from dungarees, I felt a little out of place amongst a culture that I'd only seen in Western movies. I honestly thought cowboys were extinct.
As I cautiously walked the dusty path towards the bleachers, I felt like the new kid at school, not knowing where to sit. I scolded myself for throwing away my cowgirl costume from two Halloweens gone by.
I found an empty spot and nervously sat down. I knew I was out of my safe-zone of the ASU community.
But that anxiety quickly dissolved as I un-squinted my eyes to see that no one was staring at me. They were too busy watching the real action -- men on bulls!
The audience gave hoots and hollers to the brave souls that dared to climb on the back of an animal that weighs over 1,500 pounds. Unfortunately, the climb-on and climb-back-off technique, one that I might consider a sane compromise, is not what bull riding is all about.
The bull rider must stay on the bull for eight seconds in order to receive a score. Phoenix bull rider Dakota Henson rode a bull named Cream Puff for eight very long seconds and scored 68 points.
Don't let the cute name fool you. Cream Puff seemed to have a lot of pent up anger.
Paramedics stood by in case the bulls got the best of their riders. One Phoenix paramedic, Dori Booth, said she has provided emergency help to riders at other rodeo events.
"Horse and bull riders mostly suffer from concussions and broken bones, but I've also seen and treated thorn wounds and gouges," Booth said.
Booth said she's always rooting for a safe rodeo where no one gets injured.
Parada Del Sol evolved from the Sunshine Festival, which began in 1953. The festival was designed to bring attention to Scottsdale and its Western heritage. The festival's activities involved staged gunfights, robberies and a beard-growing contest. The rodeo was added in 1956.
Saturday's bull ride was only one of the thrilling rodeo events. Other events included calf roping, saddle bronc riding and barrel racing. Can I get a yee-haw?
Western culture is not as prevalent in Arizona today as it was in the 1950s, and the rodeo is one of the last pieces of the Wild West left.
Once I got over the superficial differences between the other people there and myself, I was thrilled to be ensconced in such a unique event. Everyone was down to earth and helpful in teaching me the scoring and techniques of the rodeo.
Western culture, in my eyes, represents the simplicity that the rest of the nation has cut out of its lifestyle to make room for the wave of big business.
In a state that will soon be as developed as New York, it seems to me the rodeo is one of few remnants of the past.
Sara Sturges is a journalism junior. Lasso her at ssturges@imap2.asu.edu
