Rodeo, Fireworks, and Good Company in Bellevue, IA


We hit the road Thursday morning for the Jackson County PRCA Rodeo in Bellevue, Iowa. It was only a few hours from home, which made for a smooth and scenic drive. Of course, we kicked off the trip with a car wash to roll in looking somewhat put together.

A white Range Rover Sport SUV parked inside a dimly lit parking garage with a sunlit entrance visible ahead.

We want to give a big thank you to the Schroder family for welcoming us into their home for the weekend. Staying with them made the whole experience even better, and we’re grateful for the hospitality.

It was also awesome to see another Wisconsin native and PRCA photographer, Mallory from Impulse, out there. It’s always refreshing to share the arena with other creatives.

View through car windshield of dirt road stretching across green prairie with blue sky and straw hat on dashboard.
Someone in western attire stands in a grassy field next to a large black equipment case with vehicles parked nearby.

Each night wrapped with fireworks lighting up the sky. There’s really nothing that feels more like summer than a rodeo followed by a fireworks show.

A group of people in blue uniforms and cowboy hats gather under colorful nighttime lights during an outdoor event.
A series of eight similar photos showing a couple in western hats embracing outdoors against a bright blue sky.

The heat was intense. At one point it was so hot that Jadrian had to braid my hair just so I could keep cool and keep shooting. You do what you have to do.

We also got to work alongside our friend Kyle Lamon, who was the rodeo clown for the weekend. Having friends in the arena makes it feel a little less like work and a lot more like home.

Bellevue brought the energy, the heat, and the community that keeps us coming back every summer. We're already looking forward to the next time.

Rodeo Recap

Silhouette of a cowboy with lasso against sunset sky preparing to throw rope while on horseback.
Crowd watches rodeo athlete perform dangerous maneuvers on bucking bronco at packed stadium event.
American flags silhouetted against dusky sky during outdoor patriotic ceremony.
A barrel racer on a white horse makes a sharp turn around a barrel during a nighttime rodeo competition.
A rodeo official wearing a black cowboy hat and jacket stands in a dirt arena holding papers.
A bronc rider holds on tightly as a brown horse bucks during a rodeo event with spectators in the background.