More than 300 rodeo and campdrafting enthusiasts could visit Forbes in March next year, if a local committee’s plans to host a national rodeo come to fruition.
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Planned for Saturday, March 1, the rodeo would be part of the Australian Bushmen’s Campdraft and Rodeo Association (ABCRA) circuit, and would feature drawcard events like bareback, saddlebronc and bull riding, steer riding for juniors, team roping, calf roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing and more.
President of the committee and recent ABCRA Southern Zone saddlebronc champion, Shaun Read, said it is hoped the event would be held at Forbes Showground and would attract more than 300 competitors.
Mr Read, who has won six national championships in the sport, said the committee is confident there is enough interest to make the rodeo a success, and resurrect the concept of an annual event.
“We just want to run this first rodeo and try and get it back going in the town. I think the last full rodeo we had here was in 1998 at the showground and the last one before that was 1988,” Mr Read said.
“The focus has been off it for that long, it’s hopefully something that will spark a bit of interest again,” he said.
Shaun says the Forbes Rodeo would fill a hole on the ABCRA calendar, to be held the day after Mudgee Rodeo.
“There’s nothing else on the calendar at that time and we’re not that far from Mudgee, so I think a few will make a round trip of it,” he said.
He says the Forbes event would be part of the Southern Zone season, which culminates in April, so riders would be keen to visit Forbes to gather vital competition points.
“It would be in March and the Southern Zone season finishes in April, so people will really be gunning for those titles,” he said.
Mr Read said if the first rodeo proves successful, a purpose-built arena would be the next goal. An arena could bring other similar events to Forbes, he said, like team cutting, reining events and horse clinics.
“It’s something that’s missing in town,” he said.
The Forbes rodeo committee, including Shaun and Troy Read, Danny and Donna Molloy and Tanya Hewitt, is preparing sponsorship information which they plan to distribute to local businesses soon.
