FANS hungry for the adrenalin rush of rodeo and campdraft can head to the Bendemeer hills this weekend where the local community will open its arms for its biggest fundraiser of the year.
Going off with a bang from 6pm Saturday – a first ever under lights for the village – will be dirt-biting action in the open rough riding and timed event.
The all-new Junior Jackpot Rodeo will follow from 8am Sunday, while another new addition to the program is the Polebend Challenge.
Definitely a popular one this year will be the rodeo committee’s decision to slot the main rodeo onto Saturday evening’s program.
Spectator comfort was the basis for that decision according to committeeman Adam Newman.
“And it’ll be easier on the roughstock too,” he said.
Early rounds of rodeo can be witnessed from 9am Saturday while both days will feature big and not-so-big names of campdraft in the outside arena.
Rodeo entries for Saturday total 370 while a further 178 entries front up on Sunday, according to secretary Shelley West.
“And we have 230 individual competitors in the campdraft,” she said.
“Back in December it looked like we’d have only small entry numbers due to the drought. But with the good rain over Christmas, things have freshened up and the stock are in fine form.”
Entries were so good that many had to be turned away. “We just don’t have enough hours in the day for 900 runs and a final,” West said.
But running a successful campdraft means securing hundreds of head of cattle.
Thankfully local landholders – as they have done for the past 30-odd years – donated the stock.
“Rimbanda will walk down 130 head, Longford Station will walk and truck 350 head, the Reids have 100 head to be walked in while many other locals will be donating lesser numbers,” West said.
“Thanks to them things are looking good for a big
weekend.
“Since last year we’ve laser-levelled the whole arena and erected new fencing.”
Many small villages in the region have a major fundraiser, and Bendemeer is no
exception.
Its main money-spinner is the annual rodeo, though this year major sponsorships were “down slightly” according to West.
“That’s probably due to the current economic climate, so we may have to look to more avenues next year,” she said.
Over a period of more than three decades, the Bendemeer Rodeo committee has given excess monies to needy recipients, according to former secretary Marion Reid.
“The main money probably comes from the canteen, and the local school has benefited from it over the years,” she said.
“We also give around a couple of grand to charities – Westpac Rescue Helicopter is probably the main beneficiary, though we’ve also given to the ambulance, fire brigade, mammography unit and such.
“Stockmaster (local stock carrying company) never want anything for their efforts, so we donate to their preferred charity and that’s usually the
Westpac.”
Always a drawcard on the rodeo program is the Peter Jenner Memorial Saddlebronc.
This year the likes of recently-crowned Australian Bushmen’s Campdraft & Rodeo Association’s saddlebronc champ Mark Palmer, former titleholder Kerry Wellington, and up-and-coming talent Luke Morgan will be eyeing off the memorial trophy.
“We’re inviting fans to ‘get bucked’ at Bendemeer,” Adam Newman said.
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