The L.A. Gay Rodeo turns 21, and it's high time for y'all to get dirty now, ya hear!

By Michael Svoboda

Turning 21 is a seminal point in any young American's life. Finally, you can legally drink and party with the big boys (and girls). Well, the rough 'n' tumble boys are out at the 21st birthday of the Golden State Gay Rodeo Association-Greater Los Angeles Chapter, Aug. 5-7 at the L.A. Equestrian Center in Griffith Park. This year's theme, Get Dirty, calls to mind the youthful ebullience associated with partying all night and seeking out the good times in everything -- add to that the image of a hot cowboy in tight jeans riding a bucking bronco and "Yeee-haa!" you've got yourself a fantasy worth exploring.

The Gay Rodeo is a honky-tonkin', fun-in-the-sun good time, complete with dirty, sweaty events like bull riding, chute dogging, calf roping, and goat dressing to watch from the shaded comfort of the grandstands. If you feel like movin' around a little (or a lot), there's the swingin' action of the huge dance tent with a country and western DJ. Besides all the planned events, the biggest draws are the people themselves. It's a SoCal party like none you have ever experienced, with tons of gay men (and ladies) in tight jeans who are all liquored up and ready to party! Although it is supposed to be a "family-oriented" event, it's nearly impossible to stop the mojo from a-flowin' when you get hundreds of gay men in one place. Think of it as country and western Gay Pride with beer. Now if that doesn't sound like a party worth checking out, then rope me up and brand me a liar!

Bill Powell, the entertainment director of this year's Gay Rodeo, explains that there will be a kick-off party at Oil Can Harry's on Thursday night, Aug. 4. There will be free line dancing lessons starting around 4 p.m. on Saturday in the dance tent. After the rodeo, the party continues at the Burbank Hilton with local country and western music talents like Tim Gales and Lori Dean, along with a DJ in the grand ballroom. "If you're looking for something different from the norm, it's a great alternative to a typical weekend in West Hollywood," says Bill. "And it is a gay rodeo, so there will be lots and lots of men."

But what about the average 20- or 30-something fella who has never ventured near a rodeo? What makes a perfectly normal guy go hog wild over cowboy boots and line-dancing? To answer this question, meet Ryan-Jasen Henne (or "Ry," as he likes to be called) a 27-year-old L.A. transplant from North Carolina and recent rodeo convert. Ry is working on his doctorate in educational psychology at USC, but still finds time to be an active part of the rodeo community as the current reigning Mr. L.A. Rodeo, and as a member of the L.A. Wranglers, Los Angeles' premier line-dancing group. I wanted to find out just what made a young homo decide to start runnin' with the rodeo crowd.

How did you discover the Gay Rodeo?

On my 25th birthday, a co-worker took me to Oil Can Harry's. I had just moved to L.A. and didn't know many people, let alone how to connect to the gay scene. I started going to [line dance] lessons on Thursdays. I met a handful of people who were members of the rodeo, and they asked if I had ever been to one. Being from North Carolina, you'd figure I had, but nope; so I said, "why not!" and I went to my first rodeo in April of 2002.

What is the gay rodeo community like?

The rodeo community is a very eclectic group. I met a lot of amazing people from all walks of life, all brought together by the rodeo -- different cultures, ethnicities, religions; it's like special sauce, it's all in there! No matter what other groups people identify with -- bears, twinks, leather, muscle, women, or just the average Joe next door -- you can find 'em there ... the [rodeo] community is very welcoming and inclusive. If you stand too close to the dance floor, someone is bound to ask you to dance!

What keeps you interested in the Gay Rodeo? Why do you go?

I love it! That's what keeps me interested. At the rodeo, there's always something to do. There's dancing, vendors, people watching, and of course, the rodeo events. At our rodeo, there are four types of events: rough stock (bronc, bull, and steer riding), speed (barrel race and pole bending), roping (calf roping and team roping) and camp events (drag race and goat dressing). And what's really great is that even if you've never done a rodeo-related event before, but you're interested in participating, the rodeo offers educational opportunities for you to learn how to do all of the events throughout the year.

Are there a lot of younger guys and gals involved with the rodeo scene?

Almost all of my friends I have in L.A. I've met through the rodeo. Though I have a few older friends, by far, most of them are in the 21-35 age range.

Do all gay rodeo-ers line dance, or is that just a myth?

[Laughs] I had actually never heard this myth before. Dancing is a large portion of the event. I guess you could say that we do line-dancing with a lot more flair than in traditional sets. Sure, we do the Tush-Push and the Watermelon Crawl, but we also do dances to many Top 40 artists like Janet, Britney, Mary J. and to the house/dance mixes you would hear at techno clubs. It's definitely not your mama's country music anymore.

'Nuff said, pardner ... sign me up!

For a complete schedule and more information on the Gay Rodeo, visit www.larodeo.com.