Taking on the role of Warwick Rodeo and Campdraft secretary seemed the most natural thing in the world for Terri Gilbert to do, almost like she was born for the role.
And the truth is – she probably was.
Terri has been on the event’s management committee for the past few years, but she took on the paid role of rodeo secretary at the start of 2022.
“My dad was always on the management committee when we were children,” she explained.
“He was the chute boss here for many, many years. He rodeoed when we were little, so we grew up around that lifestyle and Warwick Rodeo was always our favourite event of the year.
“It was always something we looked forward to every year and we always had a house full of cowboys at our place – usually for months before getting ready. It was always an exciting time when the rodeo came around.”
Her future was probably cemented when she was 17 – entering and winning the Miss Warwick Rodeo competition and just a week later becoming Miss Rodeo Australia.
“Life got really hectic, I was just super lucky I had cousins that were professional cowboys and travelling,” Terri admitted.
“They took me with them and looked after me for 12 months, Norman, Steve and Peter Hilton, I travelled with them, and they, and the rodeo community looked after me for a year being so young.
“We went to America and Canada and then I came home and travelled a little bit – did a bit of this and that with rodeo, we were all young kids travelling and I made life-long friends. With a girlfriend that I rodeoed with, I moved to Bundaberg and then spent thirty years up there.”
While in Bundaberg she got involved in Touch Football representing Australia, but eventually when her kids were grown, the call of her hometown was strong and she returned to Warwick.
“Back home to Warwick – I’m fourth generation Warwick on my father’s side and my mother is a Hilton which is a big rodeo name, we’re from convict stock and we’ve been settled in Warwick or close by for a long time,” she said.
After spending the whole year preparing for the event, 24-30 October, it is finally almost here and Terri admits to be excited and just a touch nervous.
“The rain is a worry, the arenas been flooded five times, that’s always a little bit scary but the saying is it’s always right on the day so we’re confident we will get there,” she said.
“I am really looking forward to it all happening. Since I’ve moved back to town I’ve bought a big stock horse and I’ve been doing some drafting myself, I’m not very good at it, I’m still learning, the horse is good at it but we’re still learning together. So that’s been exciting so I’m looking forward to the drafting and watching all my friends compete and cheering. Also of the rodeo is always great, we’ve got so much happening this year. We have a VIP experience with some amazing Frenchmen coming over that’s going to be exciting, looking after our sponsors and cattle donors.
“With the borders being closed last year, there is so much excitement from people travelling from interstate so we’re expecting a big year.”
