A crowd of close to 1800 bull ride enthusiasts poured through the gates of the Dalrymple Equestrian Centre at Charters Towers on Saturday, April 2, for a full day of action at the ABCRA affiliated Dust n Gold Rodeo.
The action commenced at 11am and ran through until 9.30pm with 365 riders from all over Queensland ranging in age from eight upwards competing for the prize money in 25 events.
Charters Towers Rodeo Association (CTRA) secretary Fay Staub said it was great to see so many nominations and so much support for the Dust and Gold which has been run every year since 1948.
“We had men and women competing across a whole host of rodeo events including: barrel racing; poddy riding; bull riding; steer wrestling; saddle bronc; team roping; rope & tie; bareback; ladies breakaway and ladies steer undecorating,” Ms Staub said.
The bulls supplied by stock contractors Troy Chappel, Charters Towers, and Ross Beak, Bowen, won the night in the Open Bull Ride with none of the riders managing to hang on through to the eight second siren (full results below).
“On Friday night we also hosted the ABCRA NQ Zone Junior Development Day which was highly successful,” she said.
“We had close to 40 kids come and try their hand at rodeo events under the guidance of our ABCRA NQ Zone champions Darryl Chong and Suzie Fearon with the event supervised by ABCRA NQ Zone president Clayton Lane.
“We got a lot of positive feedback and thanks from the parents for how well the day was organised, and we’re planning to follow it up with a two or three day novice camp later in the year.”
Ms Staub attributed much of the success of this year’s Dust n Gold to the overwhelming support of the community.
“The CTRA would like to thank the members of the community, sponsors and the competitors for helping us to put on an event that will be hard to beat this rodeo season in north Queensland.
“I’d especially like to thank the Southern Cross Rural Fire Brigade who were at the grounds at dawn on Sunday to clean up all the rubbish left behind, they sure know how to fill the Gold City Mini Bins in no time; The Dalrymple Lions Club who sat at the gates day and night selling tickets and Whitbreads Softdrinks for loaning us their mobile freezer at every rodeo to keep the ice up to the bar.
“So many awesome local businesses got behind the CTRA to make it all happen.”
She said the next events to be held at Charters Towers will be the Junior Rodeo on July 22 which will be followed by the Open Rodeo the next night.
“We are also very proud to be hosting the prestigious ABCRA NQ Zone Finals on September 24.
Full results are as follows:
Novice Horse Barrel Race: Katie Vohland; Nicole Gava; Lisa Finch; Logan Bethel; Lorraine Wellby.
U-8 Junior Barrel Race: Miley Russell; Charlie Limpus; Sonny Prichard; Meaghan Flanagan; Bonnie Milgate.
U-11 Junior Barrel Race: Kasey Swift; Jemma Swift; Georgia Simpson; Mya Ormonde; Lachlan Wellby.
U-14 Junior Barrel Race: Halana Haber; McKenzie Barrett; Kaitlyn Everingham; Poppy Prichard; Kelsey Lenton.
U-18 Juvenile Barrel Race: Jordan Cashion; Shaye Land; Serenity Flanagan; Cailan Evans Finch; Natasha Galvin.
Ladies Barrel Race: Jaimi Downing; Suzie Fearon; Nicola Lillyman; Lisa Finch; Kristine Stagg.
U8 Poddy Ride: Beau Easton; Riley Schmidt; Nash Armstrong; Jayden Buchgraber; tied fifth Edward Archer and Michael Archer.
Novice Bull Ride: Kye Keioske.
Novice Rope & Tie: Jace Land; Daley Tilse.
U11 Poddy Ride: Dallon Finch; Jake Simpson.
Novice Steer Wrestling: Cody Tredrea; Travis Munro; Luke Ford; Daley Tilse.
Novice Ladies Breakaway: Layne Prichard; Kayla Russell.
Novice Saddle Bronc: Robert Berryman; Robert Hicks; Jack McKenzie; Jordan Dobson; Dan Youngberry.
Team Roping: Jace Land and Liam Davison; Jace Land and Chris Cameron; Bridie Davison and Liam Davison; Lee Liaver and Ryley Gibb; Lamar Cox and Glen Naughton.
U14 Junior Steer Ride: Harley Flanagan; Lleyton Marks.
Rope & Tie: Chris Cameron; Darcy Kersh; Braydon Wellby; Daley Tilse; Cameron Parkinson.
U18 Junior Breakaway: Darcy Kersh; Serenity Flanagan; Lochlan Moloney; Natasha Galvin.
U18 Junior Bull Ride: Karl Hocking, Kye Keioske.
Steer Wrestling: Chris Cameron; Travis Munro; Ryley Gibb; Cody Tredrea; Cameron Parkinson.
Ladies Breakaway: Suzie Fearon; Alex Hodson; Nicola Lillyman; Lorraine Wellby.
Novice Bareback: Jamie Morgan.
Ladies Steer Undecorating: Lorraine Wellby; Kaylan Mattingley; Nicole Gava; Kayla Russelll; Shannon Neven.
Saddle Bronc: Gavin Fry; Morgan Marks; Jack McKenzie; tied fourth Michael Chong and Robert Berryman; Clayton Lane.
Bareback: Tied first Clayton Lane and Owen Lee.
Bull Ride: No scores.