by Terry Lidral
Susan Hanrahan expresses her passion for bucking bulls through the lens of her camera. She’s been an avid photographer since high school. And she is seldom without her camera.
“I took up photography in high school,” said Susan about the beginning of what has become an avid hobby. “I further studied it in college. And I had dreams of becoming a professional photographer. But real life intervened and I needed to make a living. So, photography became my hobby.”
Susan’s “hobby” is an integral part of her life. Wherever she goes, her camera is usually right there with her.
For Susan Hanrahan, capturing life through the lens of a camera started back when she was a teenager in high school.
Susan Hanrahan started out capturing life through the lens of a camera as a teenager in high school in New Jersey. She had no idea that she would find herself staring through the lens at the bovine super stars of the great Western sport of bull riding.
“I love taking my camera with me and seeing what special moments I can capture. One of my professors told me I had a good eye when setting up shots. I am always consciously looking at how to best capture the subject of my photograph.”
It was in 2008 that “Cactus Sue” found bucking bulls. And with them, she had found perfect subjects for her photography.
“Back in the late fall of 2008, my husband and I were spending a long weekend in Phoenix. I happened upon an advertisement in a hotel room magazine. It was for a tourist attraction named ‘Rawhide Western Town,’ Susan told of her chance meeting with bucking bulls. “The ad said they held bull ridings on the weekends. I joked about it and told my husband we should go.”
Susan was an East Coast girl having grown up in New Jersey. She had no idea what to expect.
“Until 1999, I had only been west of the Mississippi three times until we traveled to the Southwest that year. I knew NOTHING about Western sports,” explained Susan. “I was intrigued, so we went to Rawhide and paid our $2 extra to get in to the bull riding. I marched up to the front row, having no idea what I was going to see,” she shared the memory.
As she waited for the bull riding to start, Susan found herself getting excited. And she wasn’t disappointed.
”When the first bull came out of the chute, I was hooked!!!” Susan laughed at the intentional pun. “I thought bull riding was the coolest thing I’d ever seen. And I immediately fell in love with the bulls. The meaner they got, the more I loved it! There was a black & white bull there named Domino. He stole my heart.”
Domino was the first of an endless line of bulls that have won Sue’s heart since that day in 2008. Her enthusiasm for bull riding was kindled even more when she found out that bull riding could be found on the East Coast.
“In January of 2009, I was going through the TV channels one Sunday and found a Professional Bull Riding (PBR) event and it was happening in Madison Square Garden. I couldn’t believe there was bull riding in NYC! I made note of when it would be on TV next. And the next week I went on line to the PBR site. I joined the Fan Club and my first live event was in Worcester, Massachusetts. The rest, they say, is history!”
Susan Hanrahan is a true bucking bull fan. The harder they buck, the louder she cheers.
“I love the bulls, she told us emphatically. “I root for the bulls. I never want to see any injuries, but I’d pay to watch 35 buck-offs a night! Once the arena is quiet, you can usually hear me clapping for the bull who just bucked off his rider. No disrespect to any of the riders,” she clarified. “But I pay to see the bulls perform. It’s that simple.”
“I love to be around the bulls,” she continued. “I get to bull housing events at the professional bull ridings whenever possible. It’s fun to see these incredible athletes relaxed and just hanging around. I LOVE to watch bulls playing in the dirt. It is good exercise but they also have so much fun!”
You can bet Susan has her camera with her on those visits to bull housing. And she’s always looking for the best way to capture her bovine subjects. But she has learned to accept that fact that she will get the shot the bulls choose to give her.
“My approach to photographing bulls is simple…I take what they give me. I’ll approach a pen, talk to the bull, hang around for a bit and see how he reacts,” she tells of her approach to bucking bull photography. “Sometimes I shoot with my telephoto lens so I can keep my distance. If I’m attending a bull housing tour, I use my normal lens because I am closer to the bulls.”
Much like people, bulls have very different personalities. And this can make taking their pictures both interesting and challenging.
“Some bulls are totally uninterested in me, so they keep on doing what they were doing. Some get fussy, and that can make for good action shots. Most of them react in some way. Every once in a while, I encounter a bull that gives me nothing!”
One of those bulls too aloof to react to the presence of Susan and her camera is 2020 PBR Unleash the Beast Tour Champion Smooth Operator. He is a bull she finds extremely challenging to photograph.
“Smooth Operator is one of those bulls who just does not react. He just stares. No personality at all. Cracks me up! I call to him, whistle, try to invoke some type of response…nothing.”
And then there are those bulls whose need for some personal attention and a scratch makes taking photographs just as difficult. That description fits 2012 PBR Unleash the Beast Tour Champion Asteroid. (Read about this super star champion at: https://buckingstocktalk.com/bull-man-cory-melton-discovered-asteroid/)
“Asteroid was the complete opposite,” said Susan with a little laugh. “I had trouble getting good shots of him because he kept coming over to get his back scratched. So, like I said, I work with what the bull gives me.”
For Susan, her interest in bucking bulls goes well beyond competition. She enjoys asking questions of the stock contractors and visiting the bulls on their ranches.
“I wrote a blog for a few years called “Snotitude Bucking Bull Blog”. I was new to the sport and it was all my own opinions, experiences, photos and my take on things in general. That is how I met some of the contractors. Interviews were a great way to learn and become more involved with the sport. It was fun to recall events I went to.”
“I have great respect for these animals and for their well-being. Their health and care are the #1 priority for me…always!” she told us. “I love to learn from the stock contractors about how they care for their bulls – like what special feed and nutrition they provide; what routines they have for their bulls; and how routines differ for each animal.”
These trips to the various ranches have provided her with some very special opportunities. She has been able to see the bulls in their home environments.
“Some of my favorite experiences have been visiting Kenny and Cristy McElroy at K-C Bucking Bulls in Ohio, Matt Scharping of Phenom Genetics in Minnesota and Chad Berger and family in North Dakota. Seeing their bulls at home, touring their ranches, seeing retired bulls who were favorites and of course, seeing calves! It’s so exciting to see the next generation coming along and sons of favorite bulls! It’s all about the bulls…no matter the size. And I love the opportunity to take pictures.”
Susan has taken her investment in bucking bulls to a higher level. She has her very own bucking bull.
“I own a bucking bull named Spook,” Susan told us with deep affection in her voice. “He is now retired and lives with friends of mine. And they take wonderful care of him for me. Unfortunately, I don’t have the ability to have him with me in AZ. I absolutely love and adore him! I visit as often as I can. I usually get punished for not visiting often enough but eventually he forgives me when I feed him treats and scratch his back,” she added with a laugh.
Since her first encounter with Domino, “Cactus Sue” has evolved into an advocate for the powerful, athletic bovines who have captured her heart. She uses her photographs to educate the world about the animals she cares so much about.
“I absolutely love bucking bulls! I am passionate about them, their safety and educating people about the sport,” she concluded.
There is one thing for sure. Susan “Cactus Sue” Hanrahan will continue her relationship with bulls and she will continue taking photographs. It’s a win-win situation for all of us.
