8 Seconds
An Unobtrusive Ethnography
Kayla Stelzer
2/18/2010
Introduction: The Research Objective
Sundby Enterprises is a large event center in central Minnesota. They boast a
huge indoor arena, three stall barns, an auction block with seating, a large tack shop,
and a kitchen/lobby area. They host a variety of events including horse sales, game
shows, pleasure shows, barrel races, and rodeos. This particular weekend the event is
“Bulls and Barrels.” I chose this event and this site because a lot of people have
common misconceptions about rodeo and I thought it would be interesting to study from
a research perspective and actually look at what rodeo is all about. There is a unique
subculture within rodeo. There is an element of family and hard work on one side. The
other side is the spectator who is not directly involved with rodeo. Looking at both sides
and finding the differences and similarities posed a unique setting and research topic.
The goal of this research project is to unobtrusively observe the rodeo scene, its
participants, and their interactions.
Methodology/Ethics
In my research I utilized unobtrusive methods as my primary methodology. I did
not conduct any interviews, or ask anyone about their experience. I observed spectators
and participants, as well as the rodeo itself. I presented myself as a complete
participant, as well as an observer-as-participant. I engaged fully by watching and being
a part of the crowd. There were no inquires as to what I was doing, I recorded my notes
in private so I would not adversely affect the data. Confidentiality is not an issue since I
did not conduct any interviews and did not get any names. The descriptions of people
are in no way detailed enough to make a connection to any of the people I observed. I
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observed from a variety of vantage points. I started my observations when I drove into
the facility. From there I posted myself in the main entry area where people funneled in
from the lobby. I spent a brief amount of time initially in the lobby itself. As people came
into the arena I positioned myself near the tack store and the entrance. At this point I
was able to see people enter and greet others, move on to find seating, and the come
back to the dance floor and beer garden area. I stayed in this area until the rodeo
began, and then I moved to the grandstand seating. I sat near the chutes on the side
near the announcer so I was able to watch almost the entire arena. During intermission I
left early and went to the tack store to observe. As people filtered out back to the rodeo
after intermission, I once again rotated from the arena to the tack store until the end of
the rodeo.
Reflexivity
My interest in this topic also stems from my position as an “insider.” This culture
is not new to me, as I have attended several rodeos and similar events throughout my
life. I am considered a “local” in this area and I knew many of the people that were in
attendance that evening. I am familiar with bull rides and the participants, as well as the
barrel racers and the other events. I have horses and grew up on a hobby farm so my
background knowledge extends beyond this one observation.
Results/Findings
It is 5:00 pm on Saturday, February 5th, 2010. Parking lot attendants at Sundby
Enterprises in Verndale, Minnesota are in their neon vests and bundled up against the
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cold, as they wave traffic through and direct them to the appropriate parking spot.
People hustle through the traffic with blankets in hand to save their seats once they get
inside. The lobby is filling up with people anxiously waiting for the gates to open to a
night they have been looking forward to. Blankets in hand and dressed to impress, they
wait to go trade in their ticket for a stamp of a circled OK in blue on their hand, and
venture into the arena. The arena has been transformed from the open expanse riding
area, into grandstand seating with the bucking chutes to the rear. The bulls rattle around
anxiously in the back, slamming against the gates without notice, as the noise grows
with the incoming crowd.
Finding an appropriate seat becomes a matter of science as families stand and
contemplate their best view and the best location. A hierarchy develops as those who
are first time rodeo attendees pick rows near the bottom, and sections near the back
where they first enter. Those who are not at their first rodeo move to seating towards
the bucking chutes, knowing that is where the action is. The bulls and bull riders do not
move far beyond the chutes. In order to have the best view it is better to be closer to the
chutes where you can see the bulls, and see the cowboys preparing for their rides.
Those who sit at the end of the arena will not see most of the details, they will see the
ride as a whole, but not how the cowboy shifts his body weight to compensate the bull
bucking or turning. They will not hear the chaps hitting the cowboys legs, and the will
not hear the bull as he grunts and snorts. Those who sit near the chute pick rows farther
up the grandstand so that they can see over the panels and so they do not get sprayed
with dirt as a bull bucks and kicks around. A sea of Stetsons and cowboy hats flood into
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view. This is only the beginning of the night for most folks. The rodeo begins at 7:30 pm
and there will be no shortage of entertainment.
Upon choosing a seat, the next pressing interest is beer and snacks. The line for
beer tickets grows quickly, and soon beer is going out as quickly as the tickets for entry
and people are coming in. The music causes the noise level to rise and it combines with
ongoing conversations. Cheerful hellos are yelled out as familiar faces see each other
once again. “Hi! I am so glad to see you!” starts a conversation between two women as
they embrace. Excitement and nerves are thick in the air. The pungent smell of
sawdust, bulls, corn dogs and cheese curds permeates the senses and brings that
feeling of county fairs and fun.
The crowd is predominately Caucasian and English speaking. My first survey of
the crowd does not reveal any cultural diversity. Through the crowd, one can distinguish
“first timers” and “old hats.” Those who live the lifestyle and are familiar with the rodeo
dress accordingly, in one of two ways. Older cowboys are wearing worn boots, jeans
with starch lines, and ironed, button-down shirts. The younger crowd exhibits the “bling”
culture of rodeo. Belts with jewels, shirts and jeans with sparkles, and colored boots are
seen all around. There is a definite class system within rodeo. Those who know it can
identify low end products from high end. Boots can range anywhere from $80 to $300+
depending on the type of material they are made with and the brand name. Boots, belts
and saddle seats can be anything from leather to deer skin, elephant, ostrich, or gator.
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Those who are there as spectators or who are not familiar with the culture are also
dressed in one of two ways. They are either in average day to day clothes like tennis
shoes, jeans, t-shirt or else as they think a cowboy or cowgirl would dress; which
usually translates into jeans, a cheap hat that is often misshapen, bright and shiny
cowboy boots with their pants tucked into them, and some sort of plaid button down
shirt. The differences to an outsider may seem insignificant or unobtrusive. To someone
who has been there before, the differences are clear.
A man walks through the crowd who has quite obviously been to his fair share of
rodeos. He is probably about mid – 50’s. He is wearing what he would probably call his
“going to town jeans” meaning they are clean, starched, and presentable. His boots are
worn, but well taken care of. His belt is not flashy, and shows wear. He wears his shirt
tucked in and ironed. The right back pocket of his jeans shows a light colored “Skoal
ring” where he carries a can of chew, and his left back pocket shows the outline of his
wallet/checkbook. His black cowboy hat is clean and looks as though he was born
wearing it; it goes with him so well. He walks through the crowd, not rushing, but not
moving in a lazy way. He takes his time, saying polite hellos, and blends right into the
scene.
On the opposite side of the spectrum is a new comer. A woman walks in with
high heeled shoes, skinny jeans, a T-shirt with a blue and white sweater over it. She is
wearing an ill shaped cowboy hat which resembles the ones you can pick up at
Wal*Mart for about $15. Pair it all with a huge bag which she is using as a purse and
perfectly curled hair and I am able to assume this woman has never been to a rodeo
before. She giggles with her friends as she walks by, and after I have taken record of
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her in my notes I hear her explain to her friends “I can’t believe there is like, sawdust on
the ground! I never knew this is what it was like!” Her statement confirms what I had
already thought; she is new to the rodeo.
With time to kill before the rodeo starts, many people get something to eat and
head towards the tack shop to see what they can find. The shop is filled with clothes,
boots and tack. There are people milling everywhere. Hats and boots are the top
sellers, as people want to wear what everyone else has so that they fit in. Kids convince
parents that they need a hat to wear to the rodeo, and parents view it as a good
souvenir. Store workers rush around helping to find the right sizes, pull boots off the
shelf to find the right fit and get hats off racks. The workers know that most of the
people are in there to look, not buy, but there is no apparent difference in how they treat
someone who is obviously not involved in horses or the culture, and someone who is.
One woman came in to try on boots. She had long blond hair and was wearing blue
jeans and a long sleeve T shirt. After trying on several pairs of boots, she turns to the
worker and said “I really want these. I need to go bat my eyelashes and I’ll be back.”
She leaves, and when she returns she has a skinny man with her who looks very
young. She walks him over to the boots and says “See honey? I really want these.” She
looks up at him with what I can only translate as adoration, and he looks at her and
without saying a word, picks them up and brings them to the counter. As I moved from
the counter back towards the boots I watch as another woman comes into the store. As
she looks around at all the boots, she looks down at her tennis shoes and exclaims “Oh!
I should have gotten boots to wear to the rodeo!” Her appearance and attitude make it
apparent that she is quite new to rodeo. Even those new to the scene realize there is an
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unwritten dress code, and that their tennis shoes are in violation. In order to “fit in” in
terms of appearance a person should dress relatively casually. Jeans and a fitted t-shirt
or button down shirt is the typical wear of those who have been to a rodeo before.
Women should avoid high heels and skirts as it makes them stand out quite blatantly.
Men should also dress casual, and not business casual either. This is not a place for
suits or sport coats. This is not to imply that rodeo is a culture that is not accepting; for
the most part you will be accepted regardless of what you wear, it’s the question of
fitting in that is at play when it comes to appearance and knowledge.
As the clock ticks down people start to file into their seats. The nearer to the start
time of the rodeo the more animated the kids get, and their parents right along with
them. The announcer cuts into the music to let everyone know “Ladies and Gentlemen
we are almost at go time! Get ready to watch your cowboys and cowgirls in the toughest
sport on dirt!” The music fills in again and soon it is 7:30. The announcer warms up the
crowd and introduces them to what they will be seeing. Bull riding, barrels, cowboy
poker, wild cow race and mutton busting. He introduces the cowboys, where they are
from and their names. The crowd favorites are evident as the stands erupt with cheers
and clapping. Minnesota cowboys, particularly locals are without a doubt the ones the
crowd is rooting for. They each file out one at a time into the arena and line-up. Once
everyone has been introduced a Paint horse with a rodeo queen enters the arena with
an American flag. As this happens the announcer comes back over the PA system and
talks about the American flag and what it stands for. There is a flutter of movement in
the stands as people take off their hats and rise to show respect. The horse and rider
make a loop around the arena, she stops in the center and the announcer says “Ladies
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and Gentlemen, will you please rise, and remove your hats, for the singing of our
National Anthem.” The microphone is handed off and one lone a cappella voice comes
through the speaker. Eyes are focused on the flag and the rider in the center of the
arena. Hats are held over hearts, and throughout the crowd and the bull riders you can
see lips moving as people sing along, or pretend to. As soon as the last word is sung
the arena explodes in cheering and clapping. The Paint horse and rider run around the
arena with the flag waving boldly, and music blares over the loudspeakers. A song by
Toby Keith “We’ll put a boot in your ass, it’s the American way!” is getting the crowd
fired up and ready. This is a society of hard working Americans. It is primarily working
class, many of the people in attendance are farmers and some of the contestants are as
well. This is a population that is conservative in their views both politically and in terms
of life choices. You will not find these people owning yachts or having a mansion. It is
not to say that these people do not have nice things, or that they live in poverty. Instead
these people have a home instead of just a big house, they have possessions, but not
just to have more “things” they have what they need, and maybe some extra. They are
not extravagant and also frugal to a point. They are middle class, mid-western people
who know from their own sweat and calluses what a good day of work means. Of
course there is some diversity, not everyone fits into this proposed aspect of this
subculture, but the majority of this population fits these typifications.
It begins. The announcer starts off with the first bull rider. He announces his
name, where he is from, and the name of the bull. The rider has on a cowboy hat, flashy
black with orange and blue fringes chaps, over denim jeans and a blue button down
shirt underneath his black protective vest. He stands up, pulls his rope tight around the
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bull and as he sits down he wraps the rope around his left hand. There are bull riders
helping from both sides to make sure the bull stays on his feet and focused. They are
doing their best to protect the rider and give him the best ride they can. When the rider
has his rope set he settles on to the bull, takes a deep breath and almost imperceptibly
nods. The gate man pulls a string and the gate flies open. The bull explodes from the
chute. He is brown with some white and has long horns to either side. He is “small” in
terms of bulls and moves quickly. Immediately out the gate he is bucking hard. The bull
rider’s left hand is in his rope and his right hand is in the air. The rider cannot touch the
bull with his free hand or he will be disqualified. He spurs hard with both legs flying back
and forth in rapid succession. His chaps fly with his legs, adding to the ride. The bull
turns hard into his hand; this means that he turns to the left. As they spin and buck
together the crowd gets louder and louder. The buzzer sounds for an 8 second ride; the
noise is deafening. Both the bull rider and the fans are elated. 8 seconds may not seem
that long, but in that moment it seems like an eternity. The rider tries to jump off and
ends up in the dirt. He tries to scramble away from the bull as the bull fighters come in
and do their job. Bull fighters are not clowns as they are commonly referred to. They are
there to distract the bull and protect the cowboy. They work very hard, putting their own
safety at risk as they step in front of bulls and over cowboys to provide time and
distraction for the cowboy to get to safety. This ride is no exception and the bull fighters
keep the bull at bay until the bull rider finds safety. The bull takes off to the end of the
arena and puts the man on the horse to work. He does not need to rope the bull this
time, since the bull heads back to the exit gate and out of the arena. If the bull does not
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return to the pen, the man on the horse is there to rope him and drag him back. He is
riding a buckskin gelding, and has his rope at the ready.
The next rider is in the chute with his bull. He is getting ready for his ride and
hoping to make the 8 second buzzer. Each of these men came with the same goal;
make a qualified ride in the short go in order to get to the final round and win the money.
Rodeo is not a cheap sport. Entry fees, travel expenses, hospital and doctor bills,
coupled with time on the road away from home make it a tough sport on many levels. If
you are good, you can do well and prosper. However, one accident can end your
career, or your life. The bulls these cowboys are riding are bred for their bucking
bloodlines. They are created to do 8 seconds of work, and spend weeks or months
breeding or in the pasture; the cowboys do not get that same luxury.
The crowd is ready for rodeo as the beer man walks along the arena fence with a
tray of beer in front of him, enticing the crowd with “Beer here! Get your beer!” Tickets
and money are exchanged; spectators do not even have to leave their seats to have a
beer. This is convenience at its finest. The beer man does not make it very far into the
grandstands before he is on his way back to the beer garden to refill his tray and go
again. The rodeo tonight consists of three sections of bull riding, one section of barrel
racing, mutton busting, a wild cow race, and cowboy poker. Each of these will occur
between the rounds of bull riding, before they will see the final round of bull riding. Ten
riders who qualify with 8 second rides will move on to the final round and compete to
win the night. Each ride earns points. Points help to determine who makes the top ten if
there are more than ten qualifiers.
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Barrel racing involves a horse and rider that race against the clock to make a
clover leaf pattern around three barrels in the arena. The riders are decked out in full
western garb. This includes cowboy hats, “bling” belts, and saddles and horses worth
thousands of dollars, all for about 15 seconds of glory. You learn quickly that in rodeo
the time you spend getting to the events far exceed the time you will ever spend actually
competing.
The mutton busting is an event for kids. 10 kids sign up and sign waivers to get
on a sheep and hang on for dear life as it bullets across the arena. Nine times out of ten
they are on the ground before the sheep really gets running. The arena staff picks them
up, dusts them off and hands them their participation ribbon and a bottle of pop. They
are sent back to their parents covered in dirt with rivers of tears. A little bit of
encouragement and congratulations dry up the tears. Soon the kids wave their ribbons
proudly, and tell anyone that asks “I’d do it again!”
One little boy is ready. He is dressed just like his dad with a green button down
shirt, starched jeans and cowboy boots. He puts on his helmet and his face starts to
crumble. He is scared but wants to do it. He has a large black sheep to ride. The sheep
do not have a wooly coats, as they are sheared before the rodeo. As they put him on
the sheep he grabs on as tight as he can. The ride is over before it begins; when the
sheep takes off the boy hit the dirt. He is quickly scooped up. He tries to spit the dirt out
of his mouth without much luck. He hangs onto his ribbon and his bottle of Pepsi as he
makes his way to his dad. He cries as he watches the other kids ride, but it is not long
before he realizes he has a ribbon and bottle of pop to show for it. Soon his tears turn to
a big smile as he realizes his accomplishment.
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The wild cow race has six teams of three people who attempt to saddle a cow
and ride it across the finish line. This event is one of mass chaos. All six gates swing
open at the same time and six wild cows with halters and long lead ropes are unleashed
onto the eighteen people. Stopping the cows proves to be difficult as men are drug
across the arena behind the cows. Ropes are going everywhere and people are being
taken out by cows, ropes and other people. One team, the only team with a female,
manage to get their cow to a stop. One man cranks the tail up on the cow, while the
other holds the lead rope tight. The girl throws on the saddle and gets it cinched up.
Before long one of the guys throws her up onto the cow and they are on their way to the
finish line. The team realizes quickly that getting the cow to stop is not the only issue
with movement; getting the cow to move again proves equally as difficult. Finally they
are able to cross the line and win the race. The other teams are still scrambling, being
drug through the dirt and all over the arena. They do not get to take anything with them
but the dirt they collected in the arena.
Cowboy poker proves to be a crowd favorite. Four men are seated at a green
plastic table with white plastic chairs in the arena. They are all outfitted with protective
vests and helmets and the table is positioned in front of chute number one. The point of
the game is to be the last man with your hands on the table. Chute number one clangs
open as a bull came rushing out. He ran directly at the table and immediately
disqualifies the first player in his path as he plows over him and causes him to lose his
grip on the table. The bull fighters ran in immediately to give the man time to get to the
arena fence and out of danger. The other three men wait until the bull comes around
again. It does not take long before another player is out of the game and running to the
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fence. Now it becomes a game of who can withstand the pressure longer as the bull
stands on one side of the table pawing at the ground and throwing dirt behind him.
Sitting in a plastic chair with nothing between them and the thousand plus pound bull,
they wait. Soon the bull goes rushing in and knocks one man to the ground. The last
man with his hands on the table takes no time to celebrate; he quickly ran to the fence.
Once he climbs to the top he raises his hands in victory and the crowd applauds his win.
People in the crowd mutter “Are you kidding me? That guy is crazy!” One man, in his
20’s boasts “I could do that. I wouldn’t be scared.”
Mutton busting, the wild cow race, and cowboy poker are all events that do not
require the participants to be involved directly with the rodeo way of life. The
participants for these events are people who are not contestants. Having these events
allows people to be a part of the rodeo for that night. They are able to actually
participate and be in the arena where they have been watching all the action. In a way it
is a rite of passage; a way to be accepted into the contestant side of the subculture. For
children it is a method of socializing them into the notion that despite your fear, you get
on and ride anyways. When they fall off and get dirty, they are taught to pick themselves
up, dust off, and go on with the day; a practice that most of this community exhibits on a
regular basis. Some people do it for the bragging rights. They want to go into that arena
and come out a winner. What they do not realize until it is over, is that regardless of
winning or losing, they will come out with bragging rights simply for having tried.
After the first 3 rounds of bull riding and the events in between, the final round of
bull riding begins. Each one of these contestants has already had one successful ride
tonight. The crowd has become more animated throughout the evening, likely fueled by
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the excitement of the evening and the beer. On their feet the crowd “pays off” qualified
rides, and those who do not make it by clapping and cheering. For the cowboys who do
not have an 8 second ride, the “pay off” from the crowd is all they will get. Those who do
make 8 seconds have a shot at winning the night. One cowboy makes a qualified ride
and as soon as he makes his way to the fence and out of harm’s way, he throws his hat
like a Frisbee so it goes sailing through the air in a show of excitement. The announcer
goes wild, as does the crowd, and as the bull trots out of the arena the announcer says
“83 points for the cowboy!” This sends another uproar of cheers through the crowd. He
is one step closer to winning the night.
The emergency medical personnel receive a night off as no one was injured.
They gather their jump bags and make their way towards the ambulance to head to the
hospital. No one was injured this time, a relief for all those involved.
As the rodeo ends and the crowd begins to filter out of the stands, the band fires
up. 32 Below is the band tonight. The music is loud and the crowd is thick. Many
families try to exit to go home, while many others get right back into the beer line to load
up for the upcoming concert. As the crowd thins a little bit and families and children go
home, the dance floor fills up for the night to come. The bull riders stand on one side of
the floor, congregating with each other. The dance floor immediately in front of the stage
has people of all sorts dancing. At the back of the dance floor there are people in small
groups talking. The line to the beer garden has not thinned a bit. Most of this crowd will
stay until the band is done for the night. The band will not stop until 1:00 am.
From arriving to departing, the events of Bulls and Barrels create a memorable
night for those who are in attendance. Each facet, whether parking and finding a seat or
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the food cart, beer gardens, and the tack shop and shopping opportunities, help to set
the scene for the night. From the bull riding to barrel racing, mutton busting to cowboy
poker the range of entertainment gives the audience a taste of the rodeo way of life.
Discussion/Conclusion
This research is by no means exhaustive and has its limitations. In order to get a
full picture of the culture of rodeo extensive fieldwork and research would be necessary.
Observing one night of rodeo is not considered extensive by any means. There are no
low inference descriptors provided nor is there participant feedback, because I did not
do any interviews. I did not utilize additional methods beside observation, so
triangulating the data or methods is not possible. Since I was the only observer in this
case, there is no opportunity for investigator triangulation either. I did not conduct any
negative case sampling to confirm or refute the data that I collected. I did include a
reflexivity portion that describes my position as an insider. I am cognizant of my position
creating a potential for bias. In my research I tried to remove any assumptions, and
instead recorded what I saw and what I heard. As I progressed through observation,
data collection, and compiling the data into manuscript form, I included my thoughts,
views, and opinions.
In order to create a more in depth analysis of the rodeo I would suggest
additional study. Not only from an observational standpoint but also from interviews,
data collection on number of rodeos attended, participant involvement in terms of wins,
losses, money spent, injuries, etc. Depending on the facet of rodeo to be examined
there would be no shortage of data. In order to get a more complete compilation of data
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I think more than one researcher and more than one day of data collection would be
necessary.
Fieldnotes
Sundby Enterprises
-Large parking lot
-Attendants in neon yellow vests
- directing vehicles (cars, trucks, single occupants, families)
-Huge building- tack shop, arena, sale right, stall barns, warm up pen-Lobby area
-Filled with people-Front desk
-Two ticket lines- advance, buy it now
-Trade ticket for stamp (blue, circle w/ OK)
Arena
-Restructured – typically a wide expanse riding arena
-Grandstands
-Arena, bucking chutes, bull pens.
-Seating
-New comers v. been there before
-Beer garden/ticket line
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-“Beer here! Get your beer!”
-Convenience for the crowd
-Food booth- cheese curds, corn dogs
-Band stage
-32 below
-Dance floor- sawdust shavings
-Girl- Blue and white sweater
-“I can’t believe there is like, sawdust on the ground! I never knew this is
what it was like!”
-Tack shop
-Girl- long blonde hair.
-Wants boots
-“Bat my eyelashes”
-People meandering around
-two women hug upon greeting
-Man looks like he’s been there before
-Going to town jeans
-Boots and belt show wear
-Button down shirt
National Anthem-Paint horse
-Rodeo queen
-A cappella
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-“We’ll put a boot in your ass, it’s the American way!”
Bull ride-Cowboys
-8 second rides
-Crowd goes wild
-Flashy chaps- orange and green
-left hand tied in, right free
-into his hand
Barrels-3, clover leaf
-money, bling
-status culture
-Training v. competing
Wild cow race
-chaos
-6 cows, 18 contestants
-1 team with a girl
Cowboy poker
-Crowd favorite
-4 men
-1 bull, chute #1
Mutton Busting
-Kids
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-Sheep
-Tears, dirt
-Pepsi and green participation ribbons
Dance
-Most families left
-Bull riders
-Dancers
-Close on the dance floor- day time space requirements disappeared
-Loud
-Conversations
-Segregation with mild integration
DOOR
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LOBBY
GRANDSTANDS
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GRANDSTANDS
<- BEER TICKET BOOTH
GRANDSTANDS
BEER
GARDEN
ARENA
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<-FOOD STAND
GRANDSTANDS
GRANDSTANDS
GRANDSTANDS
ANNOUNCER
BOOTH
BAND STAGE
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BULL
PENS