Hundreds of people gathered at the Russian River Rodeo grounds in Duncans Mills over the weekend for the “Best Buck in the Bay” event, hosted by the Bay Area Chapter of the Golden State Gay Rodeo Association.

[pullquote size="medium" align="right" citation="Eva Mas, rodeo spectator"]‘With the political climate of the whole country and the whole world, it’s really important to make sure all kinds of activities are for all kinds of people.’[/pullquote]Gay rodeo differs from other rodeos, allowing anyone to participate in whatever event they choose — regardless of gender identity. Often in traditional rodeos, men ride bulls and women compete in barrel racing, an event in which a rider gallops their horse in a cloverleaf pattern around barrels, competing for the fastest time. Events at Best Buck in the Bay this year included bull riding, team roping, a barrel race and a wild drag race.

Several people wearing various outfits and dance outside. — People dance during a fundraising competition at the Whiskey & Wigs afterparty at the Best Buck in the Bay gay rodeo at the Russian River Rodeo grounds in Duncans Mills on Sept. 9, 2023. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Two photos side-by-side. Left: A person wears sunglasses and a rainbow hat. Right: People walk in the foreground and are blurred from a sign that reads "Welcome to the Best Buck in the Bay Rodeo!" — Left: Rainbow John wears sunglasses that reflect friend Rainbow Jerry at the Best Buck in the Bay gay rodeo. Right: Attendees head toward the Whiskey & Wigs afterparty. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

A white person wears a black hat, vest and designed button down shirt walking next a Black person holding a purple fan and red bandana. — Eva Mas (left) and Queen chat during the Best Buck in the Bay gay rodeo. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

‘It’s just celebratory’

Eva Mas, who attended the rodeo with their family from San Francisco, said having events that center queerness and family is an important aspect of gay rodeo.

“With the political climate of the whole country and the whole world, it’s really important to make sure all kinds of activities are for all kinds of people,” they said. “And it’s just celebratory to be at a queer rodeo.”

A person wearing a cowboy hat watches over a metal gate a person riding a horse while holding an American flag on a dirt track with people sitting on stands in the distance. — David Lawson carries an American flag during the opening ceremony at the Best Buck in the Bay gay rodeo. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Two photos side-by-side. Left: A woman wearing a cowboy hat, red shirt and blue sash and jeans stands in front of people with her arms outstretched. Right: A man wearing a light-colored cowboy hat and light dress shirt hands an object to a person wearing a dark cowboy hat and sleeveless black shirt. — Left: Tessa Trujillo, Miss Golden State Gay Rodeo Association (GSGRA) 2023, thanked the crowd for attending the Best Buck in the Bay gay rodeo. Right: GSGRA President Bruce Roby (center) awards Kevin Calderon and Bryan Moreno first prize in the community goat dressing competition. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

‘My life was saved by finding rodeo’

Bruce Roby, who goes by “Grumpy,” says rodeo saved his life. He said he struggled with drinking and was challenging his identity growing up in conservative southern Idaho.

[ad fullwidth]

“My life was saved by finding rodeo and volunteering,” he said. In 1998, after attending his first gay rodeo, he said: “I just felt like, oh, my God, I found home.” He said he’d never had so much fun in his life and will continue to volunteer in different capacities.

[aside postID="pop_25802"]He’s now president of the board of the Bay Area Chapter of the GSGRA.

“You don’t have to be a card-carrying gay man or woman to come and compete, to come and enjoy the party, to come and just watch,” Roby said. “You just have to be a person with an open mind and an open heart.”

Roby said this week will mark 22 years that he’s been sober.

A person wearing a cow-printed hat and sun glasses sits next to others in a stand outdoors. — Orionne Malool watches the Best Buck in the Bay gay rodeo. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Two photos side-by-side. Left: Crowds fill the stands at the Best Buck in the Bay gay rodeo at the Russian River Rodeo Grounds in Duncans Mills, Calif., on Sept. 9, 2023. Right: Jarrod Roselove holds Sidney, 14 months, during the Best Buck in the Bay gay rodeo at the Russian River Rodeo Grounds in Duncans Mills, Calif., on Sept. 9, 2023. — Left: Crowds fill the stands at the Best Buck in the Bay gay rodeo. Right: Jarrod Roselove holds Sidney, 14 months, during the Best Buck in the Bay gay rodeo. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Janet Stange wears a dinosaur costume to compete in the Wild Drag Race during the Best Buck in the Bay gay rodeo at the Russian River Rodeo Grounds in Duncans Mills, Calif., on Sept. 9, 2023. The Wild Drag Race is a ‘Camp Event’ where three teammates herd a steer toward a mark in the arena where, at this point, the person in drag attempts to mount the steer. — Janet Stange wears a dinosaur costume to compete in the Wild Drag Race during the Best Buck in the Bay gay rodeo. The Wild Drag Race is a ‘Camp Event’ where 3 teammates herd a steer toward a mark in the arena where the person in drag attempts to mount the steer. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

‘This is our family. This is home’

Janet Stange, who is now based in Wichita, Kansas, has been competing in the gay rodeo for the last 18 years. She competed in seven events on Saturday — including chute dogging and the Wild Drag Race. For her, the rodeo is about much more than the competition.

“This is our family. This is home,” said Stange, who met her wife at the rodeo several years ago.

Stange said rodeo is expensive and requires having passion to “be with your family and be yourself.” She goes to 12 to 14 gay rodeos a year.

Contestants compete to put underwear on a goat during the goat dressing competition at the Best Buck in the Bay gay rodeo. — Contestants compete to put underwear on a goat during the goat dressing competition, an event unique to the gay rodeo. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Two photos side-by-side. Left: Hannah Mac Dula holds a pair of underwear during the goat dressing competition at the Best Buck in the Bay gay rodeo at the Russian River Rodeo Grounds in Duncans Mills, Calif., on Sept. 9, 2023. The team competes to put underwear on a goat the fastest. Right: A goat wears underwear during the goat dressing competition at the Best Buck in the Bay gay rodeo at the Russian River Rodeo Grounds in Duncans Mills, Calif., on Sept. 9, 2023, an event unique to the gay rodeo. — Left: Hannah Mac Dula holds a pair of underwear during the goat dressing competition. Each team competes to put underwear on a goat the fastest. Right: A goat wears underwear during the goat dressing competition. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Friends and competitors David Lawson (left) and Greg Begay talk on horseback during the Best Buck in the Bay gay rodeo at the Russian River Rodeo Grounds in Duncans Mills, Calif., on Sept. 9, 2023. — Friends and competitors David Lawson (left) and Greg Begay laugh on horseback. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

‘A safe space where we can celebrate together’

Kevin Roche is the volunteer coordinator for Best Buck in the Bay and has been involved for over a decade. He says part of the importance of gay rodeo is about representation, and that queer people are mostly invisible when it comes to tropes of country and Western media portrayals.

“This rodeo feels like a safe space where we can celebrate together,” Roche said. “It feels like a big family playing together.”

Chuck Browning waits to compete during the Best Buck in the Bay gay rodeo at the Russian River Rodeo Grounds in Duncans Mills, Calif., on Sept. 9, 2023. — Chuck Browning waits to compete during the Best Buck in the Bay gay rodeo. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

‘Nobody’s judging anybody for anything’

Chuck Browning, who lives in Phoenix, began volunteering for gay rodeos nearly 30 years ago. After about six years of volunteering, he decided to try some of the events. A friend sold him a horse and he’s been competing ever since. Browning said the culture is what keeps him coming back.

“Everybody is everybody,” he said. “Nobody’s judging anybody for anything.” He added that gay rodeos are all about charity and giving back — all the funds raised go to community organizations.

“We’ve been struggling, getting the younger generation to come out and compete with us,” he said. “We’re hopeful that we will get out there, and people will find us and more contestants will come and try it and find out that it’s awesome and love it.”

Laurynn Malilay smiles after competing in the pole bending competition at the Best Buck in the Bay gay rodeo at the Russian River Rodeo Grounds in Duncans Mills, Calif., on Sept. 9, 2023. Pole bending is a test of skill at controlling the horse where the horse and rider try to achieve the fastest time while weaving in and out through 6 six-foot poles. — Laurynn Malilay smiles after competing in the pole bending competition. Pole bending is a test of skill at controlling your horse where horse and rider try to achieve the fastest time weaving in and out of 6 tall poles. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Two photos side-by-side. Left: Two people dressed in cowboy attire converse. One on the left sits on a horse while the other stands in front of them with their hand in front of the horse's mouth. Right: A person wearing a helmet that has bars covering the face and a turquoise shirt hols on to a steer with people in the background. — Left: David Lawson talks with a pole bending contestant before they ride. Right: Jennifer Vrana, from Philadelphia, competes in the chute dogging competition. Chute dogging is steer wrestling on foot, where a contestant is timed while wrestling a 400- to 500-pound steer to the ground. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

A shifting interest in rodeo participants?

Things have changed since the first gay rodeo was held nearly 50 years ago in Reno, Nevada. Some people attribute the high costs to participate and having more inclusive venues available for the LGBTQ+ community as factors. But David Lawson, who trains horses for a living, says overall that membership of the International Gay Rodeo Association — the governing body of the GSGRA — is much older. He also said membership of the GSGRA has been getting more diverse, with more women involved.

Lawson said he wants more people to know about the International Gay Rodeo Association’s existence, one of the largest organizations in the world that coordinates rodeo events around the country welcoming LGBTQ+ participants and spectators. Even though he competes in other rodeos, Lawson said gay rodeo is where he is able to combine what he enjoys.

“I want to have community with the gay community,” Lawson said. He also said he’d like to see more young people with social media skills join the association.

Roger Bergmann, president of the Gay and Lesbian Rodeo Heritage Foundation, still remembers attending his first rodeo in 1980 where around 8,000 people attended. In the past, they’d have 120 contestants in one day, but these days it is down to 33 contestants.

For Vanessa Modragon, a grad student from Santa Rosa, this was her first gay rodeo. She appreciated feeling accepted as an LGBTQ person at the event. She said with other rodeos, she hasn’t quite felt seen or able to participate.

“Being here, I can kind of combine … what I love, which is rodeos and cowboy culture and stuff, and also being myself,” she said.

A person rides a mechanical bull outside in front of other people watching. — Hannah Mac Dula rides a mechanical bull. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

[ad floatright]

gay rodeogay rodeo

North Bay Gay Rodeo Puts Inclusivity and Showmanship in the Saddle

News Pix: Lightning Strikes Berkeley, Gay Cowboys, and the Aftermath of the Rim Fire

For Gay Competitors, A Rodeo to Call Their Own