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a black woman poses in front of horses and a blue sky
Kortnee Solomon, Texas, 2025. All images © Ivan McClellan, courtesy of Damiani, shared with permission

In an Updated Edition, Photographer Ivan McClellan Returns to Black Rodeo Culture

From California to Oklahoma to Illinois, Black communities are saddling up and grasping the reins of a horse or ornery bull. A thriving culture that’s gained attention in recent years, these competitors form bonds in and out of the rodeo arena, where their animals kick up dust and barrel across the ring.

Since 2015, photographer Ivan McClellan has been embedded within these communities across the U.S. His new book, Eight Seconds: Legacy in Motion, is an addendum to his earlier body of work with 91 new images that spotlight the people and places integral to Black rodeo culture.

a black man in a pladi shirt and hat rides a fake bull with one arm up
Dantey Eldridge, Oregon, 2025

Published by Damiani, the updated edition features Texan teenager Kortnee Solomon, who’s captivated audiences as one of the youngest competitors, on the cover. Flanked by horses, Solomon stands proudly wearing a rainbow-colored money shirt and blue hat, her eyes shaded by the brim.

Additional images zoom into the arena alongside cowboys racing across the dirt stage and toward the stands, where the audience cheers under the bright, stadium lights. Whereas these industrial bulbs can illuminate journalistic photos of the rodeo in a way that embraces over-exposure, McClellan leans into shadow and a sense of warmth, capturing portraits and candid shots that exude the familiarity and mutual respect of the longstanding relationships he’s built.

Find both the earlier and new edition on Bookshop. Find a larger archive of McClellan’s work on his website and Instagram.

a photo of a crowd of black people behind a white fence at a rodeo
Crowd, Oklahoma, 2021
two black men riding horses in a dusty rodeo arena
Ty & Casico, Oklahoma, 2025
a portrait of a black man in a tshirt and athletic shorts holding a baby in one hand and a horse's bridle in the other
Casico & Caslynn, Oklahoma, 2025
two young black women walk through a parking lot wearing short denim shorts and cowboy boots
Jada & Sapphire, Oklahoma, 2025
a portrait of an older black man in a brown coordinating outfit and white cowboy hat in front of a tree
Larry Brooks, Illinois, 2024
two black men on horses in front of a white and red barn-like building with a cross on the facade
Trevonte & Randy, Oklahoma, 2025
a horse leaps in front of a black cowboy and kickus up dust
Kamal Miller, California, 2024
two black men riding horses in a dusty rodeo arena
Pony Express, Oklahoma, 2021

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