Finalist: Untamed Lands
In the American West, girls are raised by their fathers to be self-reliant. From a young age, they learn how to drive a pickup truck so that they later can haul their horses in a trailer. These are girls whose biggest wish for their 21st birthday is a handgun. Girls who have never left the country or seen the ocean. They've been on horseback for as long as they can remember and aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty. They are deeply connected to the land and nature - and they’re all part of the same rodeo team in Colorado.
The American Cowboy culture is deeply embedded in the American identity and sense of self. The tradition traces back to the European immigrants who came to America in the 19th century, dreaming of a better life. Among those who settled far from everything, on the edge of the world, a unique pioneer mentality was born - one that still shapes life today in the small prairie communities where the rodeo girls come from. For the 16 girls who came to college because of rodeo, it's not just a sport. It’s a way to stay connected to their identity and the culture they come from. Rodeo shaped them to be independent and taught them responsibility.
Historically, photography projects, tv-shows and movies focusing on rodeo culture have centered around men, leaving the stories of women underrepresented. Yet, women play a crucial role in this world, whether as rodeo queens, barrel racers, ropers, ranchers, or caretakers of traditions passed down through generations.
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Wylee Mitchell (20) in her RV. Wylee Mitchell is 20 years old, red-haired, and dreams of having her own talk show. But most of all, she’s afraid of guns. Even though she comes from a family that’s always hunted, the thought of killing for fun makes the hair on her arms stand on end. Still, she owns a pistol. It’s sealed in a box in the back of her trailer. If she ever needs it, she knows where it is and how to use it. Her stepfather taught her when she was seven years old. Because where Wylee grew up, the nearest town is far away - if something needs doing, you do it yourself. Her childhood home in Dust Valley, Nevada, is surrounded by grasslands near the border of Utah. Every morning, the school bus would pick her up at the end of the gravel road. And every morning, she was the only child getting on. After 30 minutes, another little girl would board — and then it was another hour to school. In the backyard, 24 horses were always grazing, and on the sloped hills, the family ran cattle. She was just a few days old the first time she sat on a horse. She considers herself a product of rodeo — her parents fell in love while riding rodeo together in high school. As soon as she could stay in the saddle, she started competing. Now she’s captain of the Colorado Mesa College rodeo team in Grand Junction, in western Colorado.
