By TANIA PHILLIPS
THE thrills and spills of rodeo return to Stanthorpe this weekend after an absence of four years.
A new committee and a lot of community support has resulted in the return of what use to be a Stanthorpe tradition.
Committee secretary Kylee Mochrie said the event, on Saturday, would be held at the Stanthorpe Showground on the rodeo grounds.
Gates open to the public at 2pm and the action heats up from 3pm.
Ms Mochrie said the event was the result of months of work by the committee and a lot of support from the local businesses keen to see the rodeo return.
“The last rodeo was held in Stanthorpe in 2010 – then the committee disbanded,” she said.
“We moved here in 2013 and decided to restart the committee.
“My husband rodeoed professionally throughout the ’80s and we were all keen to see this tradition return.”
Ms Mochrie said rider response had been fantastic for the National Rodeo Association event which would include a full 14 categories and was an official round of the NRA.
“We will have 230 competitors,” she said.
“We expect them to come from all over Queensland Northern NSW.”
The full program will include a bull ride, saddle ride, bareback, rope and tie, steer wrestling.
There will also be barrel races, breakaway roping, team roping, junior bareback ride, junior saddle ride, junior bull ride, junior barrel race, junior breakaway roping and poddy ride.
The 2014 Rodeo Stanthorpe is presented by the Agricultural Society and National Rodeo Association.
According to committee member Linda Farren, organisers were hoping to attract the locals and visitors already in town for the Apple and Grape Festival.
“We thought, while they were in town they may want to come up for the rodeo too,” Ms Farren said.
The event promised plenty of excitement, she said.
“A highlight of the rodeo is sure to be the appearance of this year’s bounty bull “Suicidal” the mighty unridden Hall rodeo bucking bull,” she said.
“There will be $500 for the person who can ride the bull eight seconds. He has not had a qualified score on him.”
Ms Farren said the rodeo program would also include some of the best bucking stock and riders in the country from the ’Hall rodeo bucking string’.
“The Stanthorpe Rodeo committee has again been well supported by many local businesses who are providing chute and event sponsorship,” she said.
“Bar and barbecue will be operating . We have studio two playing with a licenced bar, kids’ entertainment and lots, lots more.”
Ms Farren said the committee hoped that the event would be just the first of many.
“We are thinking of doing a junior rodeo later in the year,” she said.
“We will see how this on goes first.”
