Event organiser Noel (Chubby) Everingham was more than delighted with the 3,000 spectators who converged on the Cudgen Leagues Club Grounds for the annual Bull & Bronc Spectacular on Saturday night.
The skies stayed fine and the atmosphere was intense as the crowd was entertained with an action packed night of thrills and spills with the cowboys trying to stay on board their allocated bull or bronc for the eight seconds required to receive a score high enough to put them in the money.
The bull fighting clowns more than earned their keep with many of the cowboys having to be saved from the bulls, the worst injury being a broken collar bone.
But these cowboys are tough and will be back at the next rodeo, some of them with an injury or two.
Comedy Clown Ian Bostock didn’t have quite the same problem, although Woolly Bully did prove to be a handful before getting him under control.
In the coveted open bull only one cowboy made time. Forrest Hill (near Gatton) cowboy Josh Cranston finished with 73 points for his ride on the little black bull named Little Outback. Josh, who has been riding in competition for eight years, was full of praise for Little Outback.
“He was a pretty good little bull and felt good to ride,” he said after coming out of the Ahrens Accounting Shute five and being bucked around the arena by the determined bull.
“I do this just for fun after my cousin got me into the sport, but my day job is a tree lopper.”
The novice bull ride was won by Jayden Sims of Alstonville with a score of 70 points.
“I’m really happy with my ride on that good brindle bull to give me a win,” he said.
The bull bucked all out to get rid of his rider but Sims held firm.
It was a big night for the bulls with only two scores in the novice bull ride and one in the open.
Coming in second in the novice, with a score of 64 points, was Grafton rider Robert Hicks.
More success was had by the riders in the Saddle and Bareback Bronc Rides.
Bareback Bronc rider from the Kimberley in Western Australia, Anthony Thomas took out first place with a score of 72 points.
“Winning is always a bonus, and the crowd here was awesome, they got so involved,” the 2011 NRA all round cowboy said,
Thomas swept all before him last year also picking up the 2011 Australian Professional Rodeo Association Tour Champion, and the Mt Isa Bareback Champion just to name a few of the buckles he won during the year.
Anthony, who has been riding in competition since the age of 14, now has his sights set on getting over to the USA to compete.
To qualify, the past three years he has been competing events up and down the East Coast from Tasmania, NSW, throughout Queensland to the Northern Territory. In doing so has qualified in the top five of both NRA and APRA.
In Saturday night’s competition he edged out Trent Jackson and Dinny Moran to take the points. The duo finished in equal second place with scores of 65 points.
The Saddle Bronc Ride had five qualifying rides on the night. Finishing first was Warwick cowboy, Michael Maher with 76 points, second, former Rookie of the Year Joel Hill, third Beaudesert cowboy David Mawhinney and equal fourth was Peter Carswell and Peak Crossing cowboy Trent Jackson. ( Trent had placings in both Bronc events)
To end the night ‘The Avocado Theory’ played to a packed house with the cowboys and spectators all coming together to dance and sing the night away
Story: Judy Cartwright
