The Last Rodeo
Amarillas is a small town south of Matanzas, a town where I spent a part of my childhood and my youth. There aren’t too many opportunities there — it’s a place for people who prefer the quiet life, one not spent chasing down big aspirations. The typical small-town activities comprise of family dinners, domino games, birthday parties, and lunches. There are no cinemas, restaurants, or theaters. Saturday nights present an opportunity for young people to dance in the town center, where music is played.
All images in this gallery © Leysis Quesada Vera
In the summer of 2010, I was vacationing at my parent’s house and is the case in small towns, I received the news quickly. The organizers of the rodeo had run into problems with the venue where it had been planned due to flooding, so they had to improvise and decided to host it in Amarillas. A competition was planned and it was a municipal tournament not to be lost. It was not a professional rodeo in terms of the conditions in which it was carried out but it turned out to be a party. Everyone enjoyed the show, including people who attended from the nearby towns.
All images in this gallery © Leysis Quesada Vera (click to enlarge)
I tried to take as many photos as possible even though the rodeo grounds spanned a large area and it was difficult to be everywhere at the same time. That said, I was very close to the bulls at certain times. I had two cameras on me — my first digital camera with which I was just getting started in digital photography and my familiar film camera, with which I took several analog shots.
All images in this gallery © Leysis Quesada Vera
This project, like all other projects I’ve carried out, is related to my environment, internalizing the life of the peasants, the neighborhood where I live, and the life that surrounds me. I was fortunate to be there in those days because it was the last rodeo in Amarillas.
