New champions crowned at the Mount Isa Indigenous Rodeo Championships

New champions crowned at the Mount Isa Indigenous Rodeo Championships

 

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).

 

IMAGES HERE Indigenous Rodeo VNR (with interviews) HERE

 

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:

1^st Jed Farrington (Katherine) – 71

2^nd Peter Gregory JNR (Doomadgee) – 70

3^rd Lane Hanush Bowen (Biboohra) – 53

 

Bareback:

1^st Luke Metcalf (Western) – 69

 

Saddle Bronc:

1^st Kimba Fien (Injune) – 72

2^nd Jessie Amber (Gympie) – 62

 

Team Roping:

1^st Zoe Searle (Cloncurry) / Darcy Harrison-Douglas (Cloncurry) – 14.4

2^nd Falon Hoare (Charters Towers) / Darcy Harrison-Douglas (Cloncurry) – 18.7

 

Rope & Tie:

NO TIMES

 

Steer Wrestling:

1^st Layne Creer (Mount Isa) – 20.4

2^nd Cordell Gosbee (Mount Isa) – 26.6

 

Barrel Race:

1^st Falon Hoare (Charters Towers) – 20.359

2^nd Sarah Wilson (Parkside) – 20.669

3^rd Lexi-Ann Sullivan (Camooweal) – 23.289

4^th Mahleah Stacey (Emerald) – 24.513

 

Jnr Steer:

1^st Jack Mullins (Mount Isa) – 65

2^nd Bronzon Mara-Skellern (Cloncurry) – 62

3^rd Riley Ahern (Gardens) – 61

4^th Cooper Hoare (Black Jack) – 59

 

Mini Bulls (8 – 10 years):

1^st Tommy Murphy (Cloncurry) – 63

2^nd Dallas Murphy (Cloncurry) – 62

3^rd Levi McCulloch (Mount Isa) – 59

 

Mini (11 – 14 years)

1^st Riley Ahern (Gardens) – 62

2^nd Cooper Bennett (Gympie) – 61

 

 

Trans-Tasman Indigenous Rodeo Challenge RESULTS

 

Bull Ride:

1^st Leeroy Church (NZ) – 75

2^nd Jed Farrington (AUS) – BO

 

Bareback Bronc:

1^st Brett McCorkindale (NZ) – 66

2^nd Luke Metcalf (AUS) – NT

 

Saddle Bronc:

1^st Kimba Fien (AUS) – 67

2^nd Callum Tahau (NZ) – 63

 

Breakaway Roping:

1^st Jemma Dowling (AUS) – 3.95

2^nd Lani Jackson (NZ) – NT

 

Steer Wrestling:

1^st Haami Boyton (NZ) – 6.25

2^nd Layne Creer (AUS) – NT

 

Barrel Race:

1^st Falon Hoare (AUS) – 19.449

2^nd Jayde Asher (NZ) – 22.709

 

Rope & Tie:

1^st Mervyn Church JNR (NZ) – 16.35

2^nd 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:

 

MOUNT ISA MINES RODEO STILLS: Luke Marden’s photography – EDITORIAL SHOTS:

 

MOUNT ISA MINES RODEO STILLS: Rodeo competition imagery – photographer Stephen Mowbray HERE

 

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

 

For media information, please contact Kath Rose on [email protected] or 0416 291 493

 

 

For media information, please contact Kath Rose on [email protected] or 0416 291 493