Q&A: Bull Rider Emma Treu

In a Q&A ahead of the 34th Zia Rodeo in Santa Fe, bull rider Emma Treu describes starting on steers three years ago and now competing as one of the leading women in the International Gay Rodeo Association, where men and women compete equally across events.

Treu describes the physical and mental experience of riding, down to matching her breathing to the animal's, and details her pre-ride rituals including a specific boot order, a particular zipping sequence, and a playing card carried for luck.

She recounts meeting IGRA president Brian Helander at a Santa Fe pride event while wearing an out-of-season felt Stetson, and describes the organization as the first place she felt fully accepted across political, religious, and racial lines.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.