Roughstock

The cowboy is an American classic who taps into a wellspring of cultural memories. And the most thrilling real-life setting for a modern cowboy is roughstock rodeo, an edge sport that makes professional wrestling look like a picnic. Celebrating this increasingly popular event is Roughstock, the first full-color photography book dedicated solely to rodeo culture. Photojournalist John Annerino's quest to capture this extreme sport on film has come with a cost - he's been clipped by bulls and stomped, kicked, and trampled by broncos. From California to Virginia, Roughstock documents Native American, African-American, all-women, and traditional rodeos with a gallery of unforgettable characters and the animals they try to tame - with 130 full-color shots that are up close, mean, and personal, and never before published.