Portraits: Taryl Smith

The last thing Taryl Smith wants to do after a workweek is relax. The 20-year-old cowboy from Litchville, N.D., starts his weekend by packing up and heading to the nearest pro rodeo to ride bulls. Smith just finished competing in this past weekend's PRCA rodeo event at the Fargodome. "I've been around horses my whole life. My dad used to ride bulls, so I've just grown up with it," the soft-spoken daredevil said. Smith spends his week training horses and doing farrier work around the area, but when the weekend rolls around, it's back to the bucking chutes. He finished in first place at the year-end rodeos in Jamestown and Dickinson, N.D., and second in Brookings, S.D. Despite the dangerous hobby, Smith has avoided serious injury and has only dislocated his wrists. He still prefers to wear a cowboy hat over a hockey helmet on his 8-second thrill rides in the ring. "I want to do this as long as I can; it's all I've known."