Easter weekend saw us heading off to the annual Great Western Rodeo, this is the 2nd year we've attended. There's free camping on the grounds so we pitched the tent and set up camp for the night. Many others set up tents or roll out swags and the horse owners that stay after the events usually sleep in the horse floats. Not a lot of sleeping happens, the younger generation party on through to the wee hours of the morning. At 4am you see the glow of the campfires with people sitting around them winding down after a night full of entertainment.
This rodeo isn't just about bull riding and bucking broncos. There are team roping events where the steer is roped around the horns and the back legs. Chute dogging, where the horse rider has to leap off the horse and wrestle the steer to the ground (it's done in a non harming way), Breakaway roping where the horse rider attempts to rope the steers horns and barrel racing which is horse and rider racing around 3 barrels in a cloverleaf pattern. All of these events are timed so it's fastest competitor wins.
As with any animal/people event, there are injuries, some minor, some major. 3 riders were carted off in the ambulance at this rodeo. No animals were injured and i've said it before, these bulls and horses are all professionally trained to do what they do, if they don't want to buck and jump around and perform how they should, they won't. The owners of the bulls are very good animal handlers and you could even say some of the bulls are quite tame.
After the events there was a band playing both country and modern music. There was a sideshow alley type area during the day where a lot of the kids spent most of their time, the mechanical bucking bull got a good workout by the little kids. A few stalls selling jewellery, clothing, hats etc. All up a good variety for everyone who attended.
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