Wild Thing - The book
 

Over the course of four years Lili Tanner has documented bull riders riders at the “Wild Thing” bullring competition in Gallup, New Mexico. 

Holding on for dear life for 8 seconds - that’s what bull riders train for all their life hoping to manifest their dreams of cowboy stardom and price money.

On this particular frontier cowboys and Indians fight the same fight against wild bulls and their own gravity. They embrace a brotherhood of easygoing competitiveness in spirit but also one of support for one another. Friendship and camaraderie are easily detectable in these riders bound together by youth, strength and their shared pursuit of their quintessentially American happiness. 

“Wild Thing” is not a book about the sport of bull riding. It’s a glimpse into the world of bull riding and the fierce men and women who pursue it with style. 

Lili Tanner is a Swiss-American artist - writer, photographer, designer. She lives in Twentynine Palms, California.

Alexander Kohnke is a German-American artist and art director. He lives in Escondido, California.