DIRT, dust and cowboys - it was another grand affair at Julia Creek for the annual Dirt n Dust Festival last weekend, with around 1800 attendees making the trek to the popular rodeo event on April 19-20.
Record numbers competed in the DnD Adventure Run, with around 250 signing up to take part.
Recent rain across the region had made the event greener than ever and the adventure track all the more difficult, and muddier and stickier than ever before for the record number of races.
In the DnD Adventure Run, Darby Liersch took out first place in the 10km leg and Lachlan Smith claimed first place in the 15km.
Cowboys aged from seven years competed in the DirtnDust Rodeo - comprising of calf, bull and bronc competitions with the winners vying for the coveted buckles and their share in a prize pool of $20,000.
The rodeo winners were nine-year-old Tommy Murphy from Cloncurry for the Calf Ride division, Jake Curr from Julia Creek for the Saddle Bronc Ride division and Tamworth's Jayden Blacker for the Saddle Bronc shoot out.
Woorabinda's Sam Woodard took out the top prize in the Open Bull Riding division.
Attendees from across Queensland and the Northern Territory turned out to the north west town, quadrupling its population for the 28th anniversary of the event.
The influx gave Julia Creek a boost - booking out accommodation, increasing retail and hospitality sales and filling the campgrounds with around 200 campers.
President Sheree Pratt said the event committee and McKinlay Shire Council had worked hard for months to prepare for the biggest event on the local calendar.
"McKinlay Shire Council worked on our roads and infrastructure as well as preparing our Adventure Run track in the lead up to DirtnDust and offered generous on-the-ground-support during our event," she said.
Australia's Best Butt competition saw Bec Pittis and Brenton Woolf, both from Mount Isa, crowned winners for 2024.
