Kail Wood, 15, runs with her horses, Skeet, left, and Rico, right, after the Missouri High School Rodeo Association Junior High State Finals on May 9 at Lucky J Arena in Carthage, Mo. Kail let her horses run freely in the arena after a long day of rodeo events.
Kail Wood, 15, competes in girls breakaway on the second and final day of the 2026 Missouri High School Rodeo Association Junior High State Finals on May 10 at Lucky J Arena in Carthage, Mo. Kail wants to go pro in breakaway roping.
Kail Wood, 15, competes in pole bending during the Missouri High School Rodeo Association Junior High State Finals on May 10 at Lucky J Arena in Carthage, Mo. Pole bending is an event that Kail can have fun with. “It’s my chill event,” Kail said. “There’s no pressure, I can just go have fun.”
Kail Wood, 15, walks her horses Rico, left, and Skeet, right, back to her trailer after the final day of the Missouri High School Rodeo Association Junior High State Finals on May 10 at Lucky J Arena in Carthage, Mo. Kail competed in girls breakaway, goat tying, pole bending, ribbon roping and team roping during the state competition.
Kail Wood, 15, left, practices breakaway roping on a roping dummy pulled by her mother, Libby Wood, right, on June 15 at their home in La Plata, Mo. Kail will begin competing in the high school division in the fall.
Kail Wood, 15, saddles up her horse, Skeet, before practicing with him on June 15 at her home in La Plata, Mo.
Ely Buso, 12, moves cattle between pastures on June 24 at his home in Holden. Ely regularly helps on the ranch, taking on tasks such as moving and working cattle, taking care of cattle and horses, tagging cattle and mowing the lawn.
Ely Buso, 12, sits on a feed truck with his cattle dog, Cherokee, on June 24 at his home in Holden. Ely worked with the dog on jumping in and out of the feed truck, a skill useful for when they go into the pasture to move cattle.
Ely Buso, 12, feeds his cattle on June 24 at his home in Holden. Ely wants to take over his family ranch one day. He has several responsibilities around the ranch, and also competes in rodeo.
Shelley Kimball, right, shows her stepson Ely Buso, 12, how to tell when a cucumber is ripe on June 24 at his home in Holden. The pair grow several varieties of fruit and vegetables in the garden.
Ely picks carrots and cucumbers at his home in Holden. Ely plays baseball when he is not doing farm tasks or practicing rodeo.
Ely Buso, 12, starts his bucking bronco riding practice machine on June 24 at his home in Holden. The machine was gifted to them by a man who previously used it to practice. “Ely’s eyes just got huge, he’s like, 'Oh my gosh,'” his stepmother, Shelley Kimball, said.
Mike Crosby disassembles his RC plane to make it easier to transport during the Mid-Missouri Radio Control Association's summer event Saturday just west of Columbia. Crosby’s plane is a one-third scale replica of an airshow plane. The replica has a wingspan measuring just under 11 feet wide.
A RC plane lets out smoke as it flies over the Mid-Missouri Radio Control Association flying field on Saturday west of Columbia. The plane, owned by Daniel Thompson, can reach speeds of over 100 mph and is an aerobatic airplane designed for stunts.
A crashed plane lays on the ground Saturday at the Mid-Missouri Radio Control Association's flying field west of Columbia. “Every plane has an expiration date,” said Mark Johnston, the pilot of the crashed plane. “Today was my airplane's expiration date.”
Steve Forrest, left, flies his plane alongside his visual observer, Denny Sparks, on Saturday at the Mid-Missouri Radio Control Association's flying field west of Columbia. Forrest, who has been flying RC planes since 1989, travels the country with his red 1930s biplane replica for RC airshows.
Kurt Mirtsching, left, explains the controls to first-time flyer Kate McKenzie on Saturday at the Mid-Missouri Radio Control Association flying field west of Columbia. McKenzie was able to fly for the first time under the instruction of Mirtsching, who was able to override her remote control with his to prevent the plane from crashing.