Every broken stitch, hole and dirt clot on a riders boots adds character. They hold a story. To everyone else they are just another pair of boots but to the owner they could be one memory they don’t ever want to lose.
Every athlete has a tradition or ritual they do before they step on the court or hop on a bull. Some people wear the same shirt every ride, or have the one special pair of boots they wear because they won their first rodeo wearing them.
These boots really made me think of all that they have been through. How many bulls those spurs have touched and how every hole got there. They are obviously old and worn out but still important to this rider.
I have been super busy with school lately but I finally got to go through all the pictures I took at the EPB in Butte a few weeks ago. I learned so much getting to be behind the chutes photographing the riders and in the arena capturing the rides. There are plenty more to come but I figured I’d start with the simple things behind the chutes.