Melbourne International Rodeo
May 9th 2009 00:35
Would a room full of cowboys, somewhere in excess of 80 men, in chaps and floral shirts out of Texas circa 1978 turn you on? Do RM Williams belt buckles and worn leather jackets get you hot under your collar? Well it ran a very fine line with the mere adrenalin of watching the wide eyed farmers pull up their seats for the pre-game briefing. Boots and harnesses, I must have been the only soul not wearing an akubra back stage! Once the briefing was done and dusted, it was over to the arena, a sight i’d never before seen... the Rod Laver under almost half a metre of soft red dirt, the perfect battle ground for man and beast
Two hours later the crowd drew in the vicinity of 5,000 for the Melbourne International Rodeo and with the final chorus of the National Anthem ended the games had begun! Out from the gates leapt a vicious and somewhat enraged horse and on its back a rider – a cowboy no doubt. The scene etched in my mind as I watched with my jaw dropped, a character that resembled Gumby.... his body was whipped around the pen while his legs clung tightly to the horse’s middle, holding on for dear life! There were no yee-hah’s coming from the arena for those momentous 15 seconds, my heart just pounded away and at the end I couldn’t help but burst out with laughs
Following the horse riding came the bulls – they were enormous, the size of a Mercedes Smart car. Behind the scenes, for all of you that wonder what goes on at a Rodeo, the loading zone had been transformed into a barnyard: piglets, donkeys, dogs and other live stock were busy chatting away
A few nervous cowboys tilted their hats as i walked on by and it seemed I was at the casting of Farmer Wants a Wife! The event dragged on a little and why it was held in the heart of the city I don’t quite understand...but it was definitely a sight worth seeing, one of the hundred items to tick off my ‘to-do’ list! It was great to pull on a pair of boots and giddy-on-over to the Rodeo for a night, but this girl is definitely in love with high heels, accessories and inner-city etiquette – I was not too upset leaving the smells of the farmyard behind!
Photography by Barrie Collins at collinsphotographics.com.au
Two hours later the crowd drew in the vicinity of 5,000 for the Melbourne International Rodeo and with the final chorus of the National Anthem ended the games had begun! Out from the gates leapt a vicious and somewhat enraged horse and on its back a rider – a cowboy no doubt. The scene etched in my mind as I watched with my jaw dropped, a character that resembled Gumby.... his body was whipped around the pen while his legs clung tightly to the horse’s middle, holding on for dear life! There were no yee-hah’s coming from the arena for those momentous 15 seconds, my heart just pounded away and at the end I couldn’t help but burst out with laughs
Following the horse riding came the bulls – they were enormous, the size of a Mercedes Smart car. Behind the scenes, for all of you that wonder what goes on at a Rodeo, the loading zone had been transformed into a barnyard: piglets, donkeys, dogs and other live stock were busy chatting away
A few nervous cowboys tilted their hats as i walked on by and it seemed I was at the casting of Farmer Wants a Wife! The event dragged on a little and why it was held in the heart of the city I don’t quite understand...but it was definitely a sight worth seeing, one of the hundred items to tick off my ‘to-do’ list! It was great to pull on a pair of boots and giddy-on-over to the Rodeo for a night, but this girl is definitely in love with high heels, accessories and inner-city etiquette – I was not too upset leaving the smells of the farmyard behind!
Photography by Barrie Collins at collinsphotographics.com.au
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