Three men and a bull engage in a friendly competition. Friendly? This bull bumped my rear! Photo by Lito Beltran, FPPF.
Festive buntings, bull-riding lasses, cowboys and cowgirls, bruised knees and egos – and a cowboy-dressed senator spooking the horses with his helicopter arrival in the middle of the show: these were the memorable sights of the 2009 Rodeo Masbateño held in Masbate City last March 18-21, four days of rambunctious bull-riding as centerpiece of the festivities in the agricultural town.
Well, they didn’t exactly ride bulls always – the girls were riding cows – but the sights were just as exciting as the American Old West originals and just as dangerous. The FPPF was there to cover the colorful events, this being the 14th year of the Masbate Rodeo, held yearly to give thanks for a bountiful harvest, like any fiesta in the Philippines.
No, this cowgirl's not on top of her cow -- she's trying to lift a 35-kilogram bagful of sand, part of the cowgirl contest of the rodeo show. Photo by Jinggoy Espayos, FPPF.
