Well, the first of August and Quamby Rodeo has now been and gone, pre has started for next year, but what a great day it was this year. We were getting ready down at the rodeo grounds for the week before the rodeo and on the day, it looked fantastic. A crowd of around 2000 people turned up to the event, and the action came thick and fast, horses, bulls, cows, calves, ropes, reins, buckles, whips, pigs, sheep and falls were all over the place. Events started as usual at 8am sharp with the ladies barrel race, followed by brake away roping, team roping, calf roping, calf scruffing, steer wrestling, station buckjump, bronc ride, greasy pig, wild cow ride, bull ride and donkey ride.
OK time for some education.
At rodeos events are split into two sections (1) Timed Events (2) Rough-stock Events
Times events are events that are timed and the quickest time wins. Barrel Race, Calf Scruffing, Steer Wrestling, Brakeaway Roping, Team Roping and calf roping are all timed events. Barrel Racing is riding your horse around 3 barrels in a clover pattern. Calf Scruffing is a team of two trying to get a calf to the ground and in a position to brand. Four teams of two compete at this even at the same time so it often looks like chaos in the arena ! Steer wrestling is where a cowboy, assisted by a hazer has to catch a steer off his horse and bring it to the ground with all four feet off the ground. The hazer's job is to keep the steer running in a straight line. Brakeaway Roping is a ladies event and consists of throwing a rope (lasso) and getting it to fall over the calf's head. Team roping is a team of two each with a rope. the first team member catches the calf around the neck or horns and the second throws their rope with the aim of catching the back legs of the calf. Calf roping is where a competitor again using a rope catches the calf around the neck or horns before dismounting and laying the calf on it's side and ties it's feet together.
All the other events are rough-stock events with the aim of not only staying on the horse, cow or bull for just 8 seconds, but also looking good at the same time. The twist to these events is that you must only use one hand. Your other hand must not touch anything (yourself, your equipment or the animal) until the 8 seconds is up. If you do touch down, you are disqualified. The only exception to this is in the final of the Station Buckjump you must crack a whip with your free hand. Scores are decided by 2 judges whom each give a score of upto 25 points for the rider,and 25 points for the horse or bull. A perfect score is 100 points. The difference between the Station Buck Jump and the Bronc Ride is the saddle in which the competitor sits. With a Bronc ride the saddle is a special design, but in the station buck jump the competitors use a standard saddle, the same as the ones we use each and every day of mustering in.
i have put some pictures up of most of the events above so you can see for yourselves.
Next week is Mt Isa rodeo, so some additional events will be there. Bareback Bronc Riding - Riding a bronc without a saddle. Wild Horse Race (My favourite event) Four teams of three are each given a wild horse. They must hold the horse, and saddle it up before riding it through a 'finish line' in the arena. Quickest team wins. Very fun to watch.
More pictures to follow.
Ed
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