Back twenty years to... Monday, June 19th, 2006. Day 72. The Cody Night Rodeo, the Standard Oil Story and the superb WYO movie theatre. The tiny town of Ten Sleep, Thermopolis' hot springs – and the ghastly truth about hot dog eating contests.

"Cody, Wyoming advertises itself as the 'Rodeo Capital of the World', due mainly to the rightful notoriety of the town's 'Main Man'. One Colonel William F. 'Buffalo Bill' Cody,Even though it’s no longer the largest such event – begun in 1938, it is distinctively the longest-running rodeo – and in June through to August, the performances take place each and every night.

Bringing a Nikon film camera with me fitted with a long lens – along with all the other excited and expectant tourists – I board a bus which takes us out of town, past the Old West Miniature Village and the Old Trail Town, and finally to the rodeo ground. The sun is setting perfectly in the west, and in places illuminating the arena with sublime golden light. I would guess that there's only around three hundred or-so spectators in the big covered grandstand – but the enthusiastic contestants are competing for 'real prize-money' – and so are giving it their all.

And indeed, the proceedings are fairly thrilling. There’s bronc riding – that’s with very pissed-off horses – bull riding, the big steers equally upset with the utter indignity of it all – bareback riding, steer wrestling, tie-down roping, team roping and barrel racing – along with several events for the smaller cowboys and girls – the cowchildren. The jubilant crowd is also entertained by the crazy antics of the Rodeo Clowns. This bunch of heroic guys and gals serve to keep the mainstream performers safe, by expertly diverting and distracting the rampaging livestock with comically exaggerated movements, that must really make the already confused critters wonder 'What the hell is going on here?'

But what makes a bronco buck. The 'bucking strap' is placed around the animal's flank – just in front of the hind legs, and tightened – to 'encourage' bucking. Critics say that it actually binds the genitals of the stallion or bull. However, I learn later that the 'cinch' is impossible anatomically, to place over the testicles – so they've tried it at least – and just squeezes hard on the abdomen. Hmmm. If only the pitiable critters could talk."

In Search of Small-Town America: Volume 1 is a free-of-charge Pdf digital download – available from our shop. A table of contents, the introduction, the route-map – and featuring content on the first two States travelled: New Mexico and Arizona.

Jeremy Hammond I am a British writer and photographer, and have travelled through India, China, Southeast Asia and Australia, but most extensively in North America. In the late seventies and early eighties, I worked as lighting crew, and later designer, for many top-named British bands, on tours through Europe, Japan, and the USA. I’ve worked as a cruise-ship photographer, in office and store design, database design, visual arts book publishing and as a London-based freelance photographer, specialising in interiors and architecture.