Monday, August 13, 2012

Honoring a Hero and Bucking Bulls...

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For the second year in a row the InVinci-Bull Youth Bull Riding World Finals came to Abilene to showcase some of the best young bull riders in the country. This is a really fun event to shoot. They start out wit kids under 8-years-old competing in mutton busting and move up from there to the steers and the 15-18 year olds ride real bulls. I think I'd have to say my favorite group was the 10-13 year olds. There was no short of emotions and celebrations after a really good ride. Between kids coming off their steer and throwing their helmet in the air to jumping around after a really stellar ride, it was something you just don't see at regular bull riding events.
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One really cool thing that I saw at the start of the event that I wasn't expecting was they honored a Marine who had lost both of his legs from a road-side bomb while serving in Iraq. It was a pleasant surprise to see them genuinely honoring this man and his fellow Marines. I ended up with two shots I really liked. The one of him walking out did a good job of highlighting his artificial limbs. But, I think I liked the one of him standing in front of his fellow Marines with all of them rim lit. All of the elements just seemed to work out right between the light on the men in the back. anyone who has ever seen the Marines knows the outline of the uniform and the hats. Plus with him up front, his body language looks like a proud man, who is humbled to be honored, plus again, it highlights the artificial limbs. It was a nice moment to see before seeing the riders being thrown from the steers and bulls.
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