JACKSON, Wyo. (BVM) — In the foothills of the Teton Mountains, the spirit of the West is reignited every summer when the Jackson Hole Rodeo finally returns for a new season. Every Wednesday and Saturday athletes from all over Wyoming and the United States come to compete in various events in front of thousands of fans at the Jackson Hole Rodeo Arena. 

The events of a typical rodeo can contain multiple events ranging from bull riding to calf roping. On Aug. 11, the main events were bull riding, barrel racing and team roping among others. Each team or contestant must pay an entry fee to compete, and from there, the winners will get paid out a certain percentage of the pool. 

The rodeo started with various roping events. First they had open roping, which signifies that it’s the highest buy–in for team roping, of $60. In this event, the teams begin outside the arena and a steer is released into the arena. Once the steer is released, the competitors race in and attempt to lasso its back legs as well as it’s neck. The fastest competitors to accomplish this will be declared the winners. 

The winners of the open roping competition were Brian and Jade Espenschied with a time of 6.47 seconds. Their total payout was $756. In second place in the highest buy–in division was Wes Pulham and Mike Stevie, who finished with a time of 6.57 seconds and walked away with $504. 

In the No. 10 division which requires a buy-in of $35, the top times were Bryan Ray and Colt Ramsey with 6.28 seconds. They were followed up by Dustin Child and Kortlen Hilton who finished with a time of 7.32. Ray and Ramsey walked away with $483.84 as a team. Child and Hilton finished with $380.16 as a team. Hilton also was on the third–place team with Haze Child as they finished with a time of 7.46 seconds, and walked away with $380.16. 

The open roping division had four separate teams competing along with 16 in the No. 10 division, so the pot was extremely large. 

After the team roping events we saw breakaway roping. This event has no age restriction so many of the competitors were quite young — some as young as 10 or 11. 

In this event, the competitors wait on their horses outside the arena as a calf is released. At that moment, the competitor races in and attempts to throw a lasso around the calf’s neck. The fastest time is declared the winner. The buy–in for this event is $35.

The winner, with a time of 3.13, was Gracie Hardman who walked away with $137.50. Not to be outdone, Hailey Hardman finished in second with a time of 3.23 and winnings of $137.50. 

After this, saddle bronc riding was up next. This event requires a $60 buy–in and entails riding a saddled bucking bronco. This event is not only entertaining, but impressive as these competitors attempt to ride these horses while they are kicking their legs seven feet into the air. 

The competitor with the longest time on the horse wins and Kelly Short with a time of 78 seconds walked away with $235. The second place winner, Beau Scarborough (77 seconds), and third place winner, Gus Lozier (65 seconds), walked away with winnings of $141 and $94, respectively. 

The main event was of course bull riding, which consists of athletes riding a bucking bull while they hang on for as long as possible. Numerous competitors compete and the points they receive accumulate over the season and the winner at the end wins the season long competition.

At this competition, Brodie Bates won with a score of 83. They are awarded points for the style and length of their ride. Bates walked away with $630 and added 10 points to his season long score.

The rodeo is a family affair as the Wilson family, descendants of some of the first settlers on the land, have been running the Jackson Hole Rodeo for three generations. The rodeo is a western tradition that has been across the West for generations and continues in northern Wyoming every summer.