Bucking Bulls

Not content with attending my first real outback rodeo as a spectator, in a moment of sheer madness, I decided to enter the Ladies Heifer Ride at the Fitzroy Valley Rodeo and Camp draft.

 

I’ve been to watch a few rodeos back home, but the idea of entering was never ever on the cards, not for a second.

 

We arrived in Fitzroy earlier this month ready for three days of rodeo fun. Even when I saw my name printed in black and white in the programme, I managed to push the thought of my impending ride to the back of my mind. After all, we had two days of watching camp drafting and propping up the bar to enjoy before the big event.

Sunday morning arrived and my stomach was churning. I couldn’t eat and imagined myself being scraped off the arena and rushed to hospital with some sort of life threatening spinal or head injury. Luckily the other Kiwi girl also entered, and if she wasn’t backing out, no way I was.

 

Thanks to our stellar efforts in keeping the local bar in business, new found friends from another station kindly leant us gear and helped us rope up our heifers – apparently you have to rope your own animal, I thought you just turned up, jumped on and held on for dear life.

 

In behind the chutes it was all go. Proper cowboys swaggered around in chaps, organising ropes and saddles for upcoming events. The announcer yelled names of competitors and cattle were run up into the chutes.

 

Hearing my name called was almost enough to make me vomit.

I talked very nicely to my heifer. Whether she was tired or the excitement of the day just got to her, she decided to have a lie down in the chute, with me on her back. When we finally got out I fell off in seconds.

 

 

If you blinked you would have missed it.

Thinking I had survived and the ordeal was over I felt very relieved only to discover, to my complete and utter horror, I had been awarded a re-ride due to the whole sitting down incident.

 

I had to go through the traumatic experience again. Unbelievably, my second heifer also sat down in the chute. Not only that, but when she got into the arena she sat down in there too. I managed to stay on for slightly longer when she did finally get up. But once again, it didn’t take much to unseat me.

 

I demanded my workmate get photographic evidence, because “there is no way in hell I will ever do this again”.

I’ve just sent in my entry for the Novice Steer Ride at the upcoming Halls Creek Rodeo.  I figure riding a bucking steer is no more dangerous than hurtling over cross-country jumps at speed.

 

Rodeo was great fun and a good way to meet other workers on nearby stations. The weekend seemed to be a real community event and actually taking part in the rodeo made me really feel part of the whole thing.

 

I also helped out with the gymkhana on the Sunday morning, timing the barrel race and burying lollies in flour. I did wish I had a horse there so I could take part.

The most interesting event was the Station Buckjump, where competitors tried to stay on a bucking horse for eight seconds while cracking a stock whip at the same time. Very entertaining.

 

NOTE: Sorry for the lack of blogs recently. We have been camped out the back for several weeks and the computer also went on the blink, so I had to wait until I got to town to send this. Trips to town are few and far between!