Ivan McClellan’s 8 Seconds Rodeo is Flipping the Script on Rodeo Culture — One City at a Time

The Black rodeo revolution is alive and riding strong — and it’s got Crown Royal in its corner.

Back in Portland for another show-stopping year, the 8 Seconds Rodeo, founded by photojournalist Ivan McClellan, continues to redefine what a rodeo can be. More than just a showcase of elite bull riding and barrel racing, this event is a bold celebration of Black Western culture — staged intentionally in a place no one saw coming. McClellan always knew that if he was going to make people tune in, he’d have to do something unexpected. “I knew that people would pay attention to something that is in the exact wrong place,” the photojournalist turned cultural curator said. And he was right. With the 8 Seconds Rodeo, America’s premier Black rodeo, McClellan didn’t just bring the grit and glory of the Black cowboy tradition to Portland, Oregon — he brought a cultural spectacle designed to both honor history and disrupt the narrative.

Back for another triumphant year, the 8 Seconds Rodeo delivered a thrilling combination of bull riding, bareback bronc, and barrel racing—but it was what happened between the events that truly defined the experience. “You’re gonna see a rodeo, you’re gonna see bareback, you’re gonna see bull riding and barrel racing from some of the best Black competitors in the country,” McClellan said. “But the moments in between are going to be filled with culture.” From the fashion-forward rodeo fits to the DJ set by DJ Mal-Ski, food vendors, and family reunions unfolding in the stands, 8 Seconds continues to reframe the rodeo as more than just a sport. It’s a cultural intervention—a full-bodied celebration of Black identity set against a backdrop where few expected it to be.

Returning as the official whisky sponsor, Crown Royal leaned deeper into its support of this powerful movement, introducing a brand-new initiative — The Hats Off Grant: 8 Seconds Rodeo. The $10,000 grant was awarded live during the rodeo to a deserving cowgirl,  Kandra Demery, directly supporting her advancement in a sport where resources and recognition are often limited.

“I really view the rodeo as an experiential piece of art,” says McClellan. “You step into it, you look at it, but you also feel it—and you not only feel the power of the sport, but you feel this connection of community.”

And that community is growing. With 8 Seconds becoming a cultural anchor in Portland and gaining national momentum, McClellan is focused on both scale and integrity. “I want to get the event perfect by my standard, but then I want to take it as far and wide as I can.”

By staging the rodeo in a place it wasn’t “supposed” to be, McClellan has created something even bigger than the event itself: a movement rooted in visibility, pride, and transformation. The message is clear—Black cowboys have always been here. And now, the world is finally watching.