New Zealand wins inaugural Trans-Tasman Indigenous Rodeo Challenge
New rodeo champions have been crowned at the 2024 Mount Isa Indigenous Rodeo Championships, and a spectacular HAKA was performed by the visiting New Zealand cowboys as part of the inaugural Trans-Tasman rodeo challenge which celebrated two of the greatest Indigenous rodeo families from each side of the famous ditch (all results below).
Twenty-year-old Katherine cowboy Jed Farrington took out the Bull Ride on 71 points, just one point ahead of Doomadgee cowboy, Peter Gregory, who last year stole the show when a bull bucked him into the stand, where he landed on his feet to the roar of the crowd.
The 2024 Indigenous Rodeo Bareback Champion is Western Queensland's Luke Metcalf, while 30-year-old Injune cowboy Kimba Fien took the Saddle Bronc title. Steer Wrestling was dominated by Mount Isa cowboys with 27-year-old Layne Creer taking the coveted buckle ahead of 19-year-old Cordel Gosbee.
It was then Cloncurry's time to shine, with Zoe Searle and Darcy Harrison-Douglas winning the Team Roping, in front of Falon Hoare from Charters Towers and Darcy Harrison-Douglas also from Cloncurry.
Falon also took out the Barrel Race, ahead of Sarah Wilson from Parkside, Lexi-Ann Sullivan from Camooweal and Mahleah Stacey from Emerald. Young 16-year-old Mount Isa cowboy Jack Mullins won the Junior Steer buckle, ahead of Bronzon Mara-Skellern from Cloncurry and Riley Ahern from Gardens and Cooper Hoare from Black Jack.
Cloncurry continued its time in the rodeo spotlight with young Tommy Murphy winning the Mini Bulls buckle (8 to 10 years), ahead of his own brother, Dallas Murphy, with Levi McCullough from Mount Isa third. Gardens' Riley Ahern was on a podium streak taking the Mini Bulls (11 – 14 years) ahead of Cooper Bennett from Gympie.
It was then time for the Ah One x Church Family Trans-Tasman Indigenous Rodeo Challenge, where the Australian team faced up against the best cowboys and cowgirls from New Zealand. This Bledisloe Buck of rodeo was created to pay tribute to George Ah One, known as The Carandotta Drover, and his family who walked the legendary CARANDOTTA horses over 200 kilometres from Carandotta Station through to Kalkadoon Park for the annual Mount Isa ROTARY Rodeo in 1959. While the Ah One name is legendary in Australian rodeo, the Church family is legendary in New Zealand.
New Zealand won the challenge, with teams both promising to meet in 12 months on the famous red dirt arena and do it all again.
In just three years the Mount Isa Mines Indigenous Rodeo Championships has become a multi-award winning event that unites riders, artists and rodeo fans, shines a spotlight on the incredible talent of First Nations athletes and generates serious revenue for the region. The Mount Isa Indigenous Rodeo Championships took GOLD in the Festivals and Events Category at the Queensland Tourism Awards, and won the Queensland Reconciliation Award for Partnerships with Mona Aboriginal Corporation. In addition, research from Tourism and Events Queensland for the 2023 event shows it generated a direct and incremental expenditure of $1,792,405 for the Mount Isa economy and $1,307,383 for the Queensland economy.
Mount Isa Indigenous Rodeo Championships RESULTS
Bull Ride:
1st Jed Farrington (Katherine) – 71
2nd Peter Gregory JNR (Doomadgee) – 70
3rd Lane Hanush Bowen (Biboohra) – 53
Bareback:
1st Luke Metcalf (Western) – 69
Saddle Bronc:
1st Kimba Fien (Injune) – 72
2nd Jessie Amber (Gympie) – 62
Team Roping:
1st Zoe Searle (Cloncurry) / Darcy Harrison-Douglas (Cloncurry) – 14.4
2nd Falon Hoare (Charters Towers) / Darcy Harrison-Douglas (Cloncurry) – 18.7
Rope & Tie:
NO TIMES
Steer Wrestling:
1st Layne Creer (Mount Isa) – 20.4
2nd Cordell Gosbee (Mount Isa) – 26.6
Barrel Race:
1st Falon Hoare (Charters Towers) – 20.359
2nd Sarah Wilson (Parkside) – 20.669
3rd Lexi-Ann Sullivan (Camooweal) – 23.289
4th Mahleah Stacey (Emerald) – 24.513
Jnr Steer:
1st Jack Mullins (Mount Isa) – 65
2nd Bronzon Mara-Skellern (Cloncurry) – 62
3rd Riley Ahern (Gardens) – 61
4th Cooper Hoare (Black Jack) – 59
Mini Bulls (8 – 10 years):
1st Tommy Murphy (Cloncurry) – 63
2nd Dallas Murphy (Cloncurry) – 62
3rd Levi McCulloch (Mount Isa) – 59
Mini (11 – 14 years)
1st Riley Ahern (Gardens) – 62
2nd Cooper Bennett (Gympie) – 61
Trans-Tasman Indigenous Rodeo Challenge RESULTS
Bull Ride:
1st Leeroy Church (NZ) – 75
2nd Jed Farrington (AUS) – BO
Bareback Bronc:
1st Brett McCorkindale (NZ) – 66
2nd Luke Metcalf (AUS) – NT
Saddle Bronc:
1st Kimba Fien (AUS) – 67
2nd Callum Tahau (NZ) – 63
Breakaway Roping:
1st Jemma Dowling (AUS) – 3.95
2nd Lani Jackson (NZ) – NT
Steer Wrestling:
1st Haami Boyton (NZ) – 6.25
2nd Layne Creer (AUS) – NT
Barrel Race:
1st Falon Hoare (AUS) – 19.449
2nd Jayde Asher (NZ) – 22.709
Rope & Tie:
1st Mervyn Church JNR (NZ) – 16.35
2nd Cordell Gosbee (AUS) – NT
Team Roping:
Arina Halley & Kiwa Halley (NZ) – NT
Zoe Searle & Darcy Harrison Douglas (AUS) – NT
The Queensland Government is the Principal Partner of the Mount Isa Mines Indigenous Rodeo Championships and is also supported through Tourism and Events Queensland.
VISION LIBRARY:
AMAZING VNR OF THE HOT WING CHALLENGE HERE AND THE RIB WRECKER HERE
Highlights Reel: https://vimeo.com/user170863801/review/996447483/a316d6ed8d
New Zealand team EPIC Haka and Rides: https://vimeo.com/user170863801/review/996418710/516e2c192a
