EVENTS
Rodeo finalists flourish
Story John Elliott
Photos Kevyn Chase and John Elliott
The Australian Professional Rodeo Association (APRA) has produced excellent rodeos for over fifty years – it has also built a record when it comes to making rain. For the second year in a row its National Finals Rodeo in Toowoomba attracted the best cowboys and the best bucking stock in Australia, and bucket-loads of rain. The normally lush Darling Downs had experienced an exceptionally dry year during 2003, at least up until the finals got under way.
The first night of competition on December 3 saw the heavens open
up and dump almost four inches on the Toowoomba Showgrounds in the rodeo's
ensuing
fours days. The venue, the M&S
Equestrian Centre, is undercover, so the actual rodeo action and spectators
were protected from the pouring rain, but the surrounding areas quickly
turned into a quagmire, proving to be a challenge for the stock contractors
who had to manoeuvre their trucks through sheets of water and sticky mud
to deliver their best bucking stock. All championship buckles were hard
earned. 
Full story Issue 33, Feb/Mar 2004
-
And to see what's coming up, try our OUTBACK events calendar.
