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Carl Benne Arena -
Cowboys and girls come from all over to participate -
Broncs wait to wow the crowd -
Events of speed and agility test animals and riders.
Hundreds of trailers were parked outside the Carl Benne Arena on Friday, in preparation for LibertyFest's annual rodeo.
After thunderstorms cleared earlier in the day, the crescent moon reflected light from water droplets on blades of grass and Oklahoma’s red dirt, which turned to red mud.
Bleachers began to fill up as the roar of the crowd was building to a crescendo.
“We’ve been going to LibertyFest for 45-50 years and there’s been a really good crowd at the rodeo so far tonight,” said Pam Green, of Edmond.
“My kids were small and my husband owned a business in Edmond. I’ve liked to be a part of my community since then.”
Behind the bleachers, vendors sold high-quality leather boots, hats and purses. Other vendors included a LibertyFest merchandise table and a mechanical bull for patrons to try their luck on.
A score of rowdy rodeo events included: bull riding, bareback riding, cowgirls barrel racing, cowgirls breakaway roping, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling and team roping.
One of the first events, saddle bronc riding, is a graceful display of complete synchronicity between a cowboy and his horse. The rider must move his body to the rhythm of the bronc’s bucks, which takes lightning-fast timing and years of mastery.
In contrast, bareback riding is an excitingly chaotic display of the horse’s strength and the rider’s balance and control.
Another event, cowgirls barrel racing, is an exhilarating race where equally fast and intelligent horses must make 180-degree turns around barrels in the shape of a cloverleaf in blindingly fast times.
“I cowgirl barrel race both for fun and for a living! It’s special for Katie and I to rodeo for everyone,” said Kindyl Scruggs, talking about her friend and competitor, Katie Allred, who are from Mississippi and Tennessee, respectively.
People all across the southern states came to Edmond to ride and wrangle their beloved animals throughout the event, which concludes Saturday evening, starting at 8.