A lone rider emerged from darkness onto the dust-filled arena of The Liacouras Center, holding the red, black and green stripes of the Pan-African flag for the 8,000 on-lookers. The cowboy basked in the spotlight as the Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church serenaded the crowd with “Life Every Voice and Sing,” famously known as the Black National Anthem.
“We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered, out of the gloomy past, till now we stand at last, where the white gleam of our bright star is cast,” the choir sang.
The 8 Seconds Rodeo, a black rodeo hosted by CEO Ivan McClellan, was held at The Liacouras Center Saturday night. 8 Seconds was born out of McClellan’s close relationship with late bull rider Ouncie Mitchell, whom he first met to photograph. After Mitchell’s passing in 2023, McClellan devoted himself to creating an environment for Black cowboys to compete at the highest level.
McClellan chose Philadelphia as the next location in the company’s three-year history due to the city’s large Black community and his recent move to the area. It was the company’s debut appearance on the east coast.
“I wanted to take that energy to Philly and do something enormous,” McClellan said. “Bring those cowboys into a market where people are going to start paying attention to them.”
The event began at 3 p.m. with local vendors, roping lessons and line dancing prior to the rodeo events.
Justin Lee, a Tennessee-based line dancing instructor who hosted line dancing during the pre-show, previously worked the 8 Seconds Rodeo in Portland.
“I’m living in it right now,” Lee said. “Seeing all the beautiful faces, everybody dressed up in their cowboy attire, it’s the best part for me.”
Local artists Christian Calabrese and Liana Vazquez-Calabrese of “Wilde and Lovely” shaped custom-made hats and sold vintage apparel before the rodeo events.
Vazquez-Calabrese is a Philly native and grew up with groups like Fletcher Street Riding Club, a horse stable on Fletcher Street that hosts horsemanship programs for Philly youths, whom she and her husband currently volunteer for.
“Philly already has its own grit and style,” Vazquez-Calabrese said. “To add cowboy and western [style] just emphasizes how cool our city is.”
The rodeo began at 7 p.m. with the Black National Anthem, followed by the Star-Spangled Banner sung by Natiel Fargo, a 2013 communication studies alumna. The performing athletes in each event were then introduced to the crowd, filing into the arena one by one as Erin Brown, executive director of the Philadelphia Urban Riding Academy, loped around the arena waving an “8 Seconds” flag.
Brown is a North Philly native and learned to ride at Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club. McClellan contacted her for a photoshoot in 2019 and the two have been in touch since, attending the pre-rodeo panel at Klein College of Media and Communication with McClellan on Oct. 3.
“I love that I don’t dress like everyone else,” Brown said during the panel. “I come in with my own swag, my own presence. You will respect me, even if you don’t like me.”
The rodeo events began with Mutton Bustin’, a sheep riding event for children which mirrors bull riding; children try to stay on for the longest amount of time. The winner, Roy Anderson, took home $500 and told the arena he won “cause I’m really strong.”
Sisters Carla Tates and Kia Myles are seasoned rodeo volunteers from Upper Marlboro, Maryland who worked the Mutton Bustin’ sign-up during the pre-rodeo gathering. The sisters connected with 8 Seconds to volunteer as experienced rodeo workers, knowing the area lacked them.
“Anything with a child and a rodeo, it brings a tear to my eye,” Myles said. “It’s super exciting cause they’re so little and the animals are so big.”
Following the sheep was the first equine event, Bareback Bronco riding, with four men competing. Tank Adams of Shawnee, Oklahoma won the event, taking home $11,000 and the 8 Seconds Bareback Bronco Champion belt buckle.
Saturday night was attendee KJ Boston’s first rodeo. Boston heard about the event after relatives attended a prior 8 Seconds Rodeo and raved about it.
“I appreciate [8 Seconds] getting in touch with the history of cowboys,” said Boston, a Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine student. “Pretty much 99% of stuff in America was started with us first, so I like that we’re reclaiming this part of our history.”
The equine events continued with 10 women, two of whom were mother and daughter and two of whom were grandmother and granddaughter, competing in the preliminary round of barrel racing.
Following barrel racing was the crowning event: bull riding. One of the ten competitors in the first round, Kamal Miller, has competed in every 8 Seconds Rodeo and loves competing in Black rodeos, feeling it shows young Black men rodeo as an alternative to traditional athletics.
“A lot of people don’t know there are cowboys in LA or even horses in LA unless [they] know about it,” Miller said. “There could be a stable right around the corner from you, and you wouldn’t even know it’s there unless you search it up.”
The ten riders gave their all in the arena with most getting bucked and very few dismounting on their own accord. Seven riders received “No Time” scores for failing to ride for eight seconds or touching the animal or equipment with their free hand.
After the preliminary round, Savion Strain stood victorious by a one-second disparity between himself and the runner-up, James Ferguson.
The riders passed the torch to the West Powelton Steppers and Drum Squad, a local drum squad for community youths. During the squad’s performance, McClellan made a rare appearance as a photographer, capturing the group’s glory on the earthen ring.
The steppers exited the arena to make room for the championship rounds of barrel racing and bull riding. Pennsylvanian Amber Perez won the competition with a 13.3 second run and took home the $6,000 dollar prize and champion belt buckle.
Following was the championship bull riding with no surprises: Savion left the arena with $11,000 and the 8 Seconds Rodeo Bull Riding Champion belt buckle.
“It was God’s plan,” Savion yelled to the adoring crowd. “I came in this mother-f—ker and did it!”
