Exhibition out to prove that girls have got what it takes

BY SANDRA SIAGIAN
 
It’s not often that you associate the word rodeo with a teenage girl.But that’s exactly what a Caringbah photographer is trying to highlight in a series of photos for an upcoming exhibition.

See Jane Run is an exhibition featuring the works of four female photographers who wanted to examine gender roles and body image.

Freelance photographer Anna Warr chose to shoot girls who competed in rodeos across NSW to highlight the fact the sport was not just for boys.

‘‘ When I first heard the term rodeo, I thought of men riding bulls and doing the cowboy sort of stuff in the arena,’’ Ms Warr said.

‘‘It’s because that’s the image that’s most often put out there.

‘‘I think women in rodeo is not something people tend to focus on.’’

Kellie Shedden, 15, of Jannali, is one of Anna’s subjects in the exhibit.

She has been riding since she was four and started competing in rodeos at 10.

The year 10 student, who trains at Helensburgh after school, admits that sometimes she gets nervous about hurting herself when she does the pony bronc.

That’s when the pony jumps up and down and the rider aims to stay on for at least six seconds.

‘‘I love the thrill, and I love going fast,’’ Kellie said about the sport.

See Jane Run opens at DEPOT II Gallery at Waterloo on Tuesday, May 15.

Details:seejanerunexhibition.tumblr.com

St George and Sutherland Shire Leader.