The World’s Oldest Rodeo
…begins in Prescott Arizona on June 28th and continues daily until July 4th . I love this time of year as the rodeo 
grounds are on my daily travels and I get to drive by all the horses being right here in town close to me. As a Prescott resident and professional horse photographer, I really enjoy this little bit of heaven as I go about my day. It’s a great tradition and I enjoy all of the riders who are dedicated to the sport of their choice. Travel trailers that house horses and people are lined up all over the rodeo grounds. Horses camp under the stars and become a herd during that time. Some of the rodeo people meet new friends or connecting with their yearly friends and they chat under the stars as well.
To shoot or not to shoot, that is the question.
It looks like it would make for a great photo opportunity to shoot especially for a horse photographer. Cowboys and horses everywhere. If you are familiar with my style of shooting you would know that I don’t work too much with horses in penned in areas. Also, with all the cowboy and cowboy images that I have to offer, I tend to shadow out the faces of most people in my work. My goal is to pull my viewer into an experience with the horses in my photos, not so much the people on them. However, I can always see a few horses that I would really appreciate through my lens. If you attend the rodeo as a guest and not as registered media personnel, you can only use your images for personal use.
So much to do on Whiskey Row!
Tourists and locals alike fill the streets of downtown Prescott on July 4th Holiday weekend. Besides the World’s Oldest Rodeo, the Kiwanis Kiddie parade will be held downtown on Friday July 1st. Saturday, July 2nd is the Prescott Frontier Days Parade. The route goes through the main downtown square area and attracts a huge crowd. There’s clowns, marching bands, fire trucks and lots of horses! There’s a Rodeo dance nightly June 30, July 1 & 2 if you’re looking to kick up your heels and your cowboy boots. The downtown Courthouse square is filled with Artisans selling their wares during the Prescott Rodeo Days Fine Art and Craft Show. Of course July 4th ends the night with large fireworks display which has now been relocated to downtown. Check out a full listing of all events here.
Arts Prescott Gallery enjoys the crowds too. The Gallery is located right in the middle of Whiskey Row in downtown Prescott. With all the commotion going on, there are a lot of people browsing through and shopping in our gallery. We have 25 local artists with incredible hand made items. Since many of the visitors enjoy horses and cowboys, it lends to quite a crowd gathering in front of my art display. I purposefully have brought in an array of styles from wild horses, elegant horses and rustic wranglers. 
I love the rodeo coming to our town year after year and yet another opportunity to walk among others throughout the local scenery that love the rodeo and western lifestyle too. The summer days linger and the feel of the old west wafts through the air of my little town.
Jody Miller is a professional photographer specializing in Horse Photography, Equine Photography, and Equestrian photography. Her work can be viewed online here in her gallery section, and she is also featured at Arts Prescott Gallery, in Arizona.