Last year the Kyabram rodeo hit the dirt hard, cancelled by the pandemic and everyone told to keep their boots, utes and cowboy hats at home.
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But on Friday night, March 11, the rodeo dusted itself off and was back with a vengeance — no customary rodeo limp to be seen.
The action started with bareback bronc riding on spectacularly large mares, before some roping events where the steers gave nearly ever rider the slip.
Barrel racing took the stage after sundown, giving the crowd a glimpse of the most agile athletes on four legs moving at full throttle.
One horse was moving so fast, it left its rider at the barrel and kept going.
Once all the bronc and roping events were done, the open bull ride started to great anticipation.
Things were a bit slow in the chute with the bulls leaning on riders’ legs multiple times.
Overall, there were no lethal injuries, leaving the Kyabram Show Society and McPhee Rodeo Company to call the event a success.
There were not even any fence crashes thanks to Kyabram’s enormous arena.
As quickly as it happened, the animals, riders and fences were stripped down and trucked off, everything destined for the Merrijig Rodeo on Saturday night and Chiltern on Sunday, where they would do it all again.
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Kelsey Pavlou on “Sally”. Kelsey was hot off winning the Echuca Rodeo and Whittlesea Rodeo.Image 2 of 20
Kelsey Pavlou on “Sally”. Kelsey was hot off winning the Echuca Rodeo and Whittlesea Rodeo.Image 3 of 20
Kelsey Pavlou on “Sally”. Kelsey was hot off winning the Echuca Rodeo and Whittlesea Rodeo.Image 4 of 20
Will Purcell on a bull named “Lockdown”. This was the last ride of the night and earned Will 83 points.Image 5 of 20
Cameron Southern from Toowoomba, QLD. Cameron had broken his hand “a few rodeos ago” and was holding on with his non-dominate hand. Perhaps sensing weakness, this bull leaned on Cameron’s leg in the chute for a long time.Image 6 of 20
Kade Griffiths left this ride with a pronounced limp.Image 7 of 20
Jack Brodrick from Bungendore, NSW, managed to hold on and drift into the centre of the arena.Image 8 of 20
Steer roping.Image 9 of 20
A steer wrestling beast inspects the crowd as it looks for the gate back into the stockyards.Image 10 of 20
Benalla farrier David Stacey tangles with “Miss Kingsway”Image 11 of 20
Former jockey Jason Collins on a 82 point ride. It was a long walk back to the chutes after the mare dropped him on the otherside of the arena.Image 12 of 20
Greg Hamilton takes a breather after going off “Cheyenne Top Girl” whose known as one of the greatest McPhee Rodeo campaigners. 18 years old, she remains an award winner.Image 13 of 20
Emma Hedlund applies the brakes in breakaway roping.Image 14 of 20
Elle Flanagan from Yarrawong loops back around in breakaway roping. Nearly all the steers gave the rope the slip in the event.Image 15 of 20
So close, but not enough. Nicole McDonald’d rope failed to get under the chin of this hot-hoofing steer.Image 16 of 20
Breakaway roper Georgie Kapeller rides off into the sunset.Image 17 of 20
Disappointment for the highly-successful Cherie O’Donoghue as the black steer gives the black woman and black horse the slipp.Image 18 of 20
Cody Tyrrell from Tongala holds on to achieve an 81 point ride on “Menacing Woman”Image 19 of 20
Brock Mulhall was the biggest injury scare of the night, taking a stunning fall in the bareback bronc and failing to get up for some time. In the end, he did walk himself out after the floating stars cleared.Image 20 of 20
Pick-up rider Lindsay Rosetta, runner up for Australia’s best pickup man of 2021.Journalist