Yee Haw! Patricia Sullivan's An American Rodeo

New York City-based photojournalist, Patricia Sullivan, is not the likeliest person to chronicle the world of horse wranglers, bull riders and rodeo queens -- but that's exactly what she's done for her recently released, heartfelt book, An American Rodeo. Sullivan, whose fine work has appeared in PAPER, among other publications, documents the cowboy legacy through a selection of action photos and compelling portraits she's taken over the years in Buena Vista, Colorado. The high-risk sport grew out of everyday ranch tasks and this particular small town rodeo began as a harvest celebration called "Head Lettuce Day." The book commemorates its 90th rough-and-tumble year. Through the stories she tells alongside the photos, Sullivan's lens offers a window into the past as well as showing how the modern American West is still very much alive. An American Rodeo is available through Blurb.com.