NPR

High School Bull Riders And Barrel Racers Barnstorm Wyoming For Rodeo Championship

"You get an adrenaline rush from it," says Zane Hall, a 17-year-old bull rider and steer wrestler from Australia. He took three airplanes with his dad to compete.
The National High School Rodeo Association's finals rodeo is underway in Rock Springs, Wyo. "We have kids from 43 states, five Canadian provinces, Australia and Mexico," says Gary Hawkes, an official with the association. (Courtesy of Acentric Rodeo and Photography)

Dark clouds gathered Sunday afternoon in the Red Desert a few hours before the stadium lights went on at the outdoor arena in Rock Springs, Wyoming.

The storm looked ominous — but it didn’t disrupt the “largest rodeo in the world,” according to Gary Hawkes with the National High School.

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