Rodeo Cowboys: The Last Heroes

Bryan Hayter worked as a marketing and communications co-ordinator for a consulting engineering firm; he lived in Elora, Ontario.

Rodeo may be the only professional sport in which Canadians and Americans compete on an equal basis. In fact, the border is apparently non-existent in this demanding activity, shared by enthusiasts from both nations’ western regions.

Rodeo Cowboys: The Last Heroes is a coffeetable work that offers a bit of history, a brief introduction to events and lives of the practitioners, and a lot of photographs to tie it all together.

The authors, an admiring pair of Canadian journalists, sing the praises of the sport in enthusiastic tones, both verbally and pictorially.

Ted Barns has done some fine research into the days when two traditions — individual ranch competitions and the popular wild west shows, which toured the continent — were growing together and evolving into the major rodeo events of today. Of course, the event supreme, which is central to this narrative, is Canada’s own Calgary Stampede.

Taken as a whole, this book’s most valuable role is that of chronicler of a small but important part of Canadian-American relations in the west. It shows how one of the few indigenous show business forms in this country came into existence. It portrays the men, and, yes, women, who entertained with their unusual skills in roping and riding and their penchant for romanticizing cowboy life.

In another chapter, the modern rodeo performer is seen by contrast as an athlete more than an entertainer. His life as he races across the country to yet another event, is viewed with a different kind of affection. He’s cast in the model of the long-distance trucker or oil rig worker — a hardworking, hard playing individualist, seeking his fortune in a non-traditional pursuit.

The photographs in Rodeo Cowboys capture the rodeo and Stampede world as well as any words could. Robert Semeniuk has the usual action shots, but he has also focused on a variety of physical details and facial expressions that give a very personal feel to the pages. Most rodeo goers would never get so close to the action. Alas, not including photo cutlines was a mistake. In many instances, that extra description is desirable for relating the text to the illustrations. Only the excellent historical shots from the Glenbow Museum in Alberta rated such useful notes.

There’s little else to criticize in these pages. If one wanted to explain rodeo to someone from, say, India, a few minutes spent with this book would trigger a universal enthusiasm for the drama and action and would have them packing their bags for Calgary.