IT WAS a busy day at the Mount Isa Rotary Rodeo on the Sunday, with finals and presentations held.
The rodeo mascots Bulldust and Blondie wandered the grounds, and the day attracted plenty of families and interstate visitors.
Young Sydney family David, Olivia and four-month-old Rose Pearlman were impressed with their first visit to the Isa.
They decided to attend this year after reading a recommendation about the event in a local newspaper, which had listed places to experience across the country. They loved visiting Outback locations.
The Pearlmans had already recommended the Mount Isa Rotary Rotary to their friends.
Also recommending the event to friends back home was Wig Bramich, from Tasmania. She had heard of the rodeo for a while.
“It has not let us down. We absolutely love it. It is just brilliant.”
Also enjoying the rodeo, and not having to travel anywhere near as far for it, was Cloncurry man BJ Shephard.
Mr Shephard, of Boomarra Station, competed in the location station buck jump and had a first place buckle to show for it. He had dressed up in a bushranger costume while competing, and was rather anxious in the lead-up.
“I just hoped I would not fall off in front of my mates,” he said.
The Toyota raffle was also drawn, with locals winning the first two prizes. Gold sponsor Bell & Moir Toyota’s principal dealer Lee Pulman sounded pleased to learn this when checking the tickets drawn by rodeo committee representative Peter Baldwin.
The $94,000 Toyota Landcruiser was won by sheet metal worker Addison Ginn. His mother had entered the competition for him and ran into the arena to claim the prize for him. Every year she bought a ticket for one of her children, and this year it was for Addison.
“Addison, you have got a Landcruiser!” she shouted.
In second place was mines operator Darby Knudson. Mr Baldwin phoned him from the Buchanan Park arena on loudspeaker to let him know he won a Toyota C-HR.
Mr Knudson sounded rather casual to learn he won second prize, but then when discovering it was valued at $30,000 he said, “aw ha! That’s fantastic.”
When asked what he had planned for the rest of Sunday, he said “I’m coming to pick up my prize.”
Mr Knudson was told that he could claim the prize lately, most likely on Monday. The car was displayed in the dusty arena and needed cleaning.
“No worries, I will pick it up all dusty,” he said.
Third prize was a Helloworld travel voucher, won by a man from Beaconsfield, Victoria.
