One of my favorite places to take pictures is the 4th of July Rodeo, near Springerville, Arizona. This painting is from one of those days in July.

Did you know that one of the 7 standard events in rodeo is saddle bronc? This event is sometimes referred to as the classic event of rodeo because it grew naturally out of ranch cowboys breaking wild broncos to use as working cow horses.

Modern saddle bronc riding is much the same with only a few modifications, mainly in equipment. Saddle Bronc saddles are lightweight and have no saddle horn. Along with the bronc saddle the cowboys use a long thick rein, known as a hack rein, attached to a halter on the horse's head.

In contrast to the bareback and bull riding, saddle bronc riding relies less on strength and more on timing, finesse and skill. It's a very hard event to master.Saddle bronc and bareback riders dismount with the help of a pick-up man who rides up on a horse and helps them to the ground. Saddle bronc riding often appears effortless because of the enormous skill of the cowboys competing in the event.