NEW ZEALAND RIDERS HEAD TO ROEBOURNE FOR TRANS-TASMAN RODEO CHALLENGE
About 10 New Zealand riders will travel to the Pilbara to compete against leading Australian rodeo riders when the Karlayura Rodeo returns to Roebourne this weekend.
The Australia versus New Zealand Trans-Tasman Challenge will be a major feature of the second annual event, also known as the Roebourne Rodeo.
Karlayura Rodeo co-founder and champion barrel racer Tui Magner said the New Zealand team would compete against Australian riders from Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia and the Kimberley.
“We’ve got about 10 or so riders flying across to Karratha this week from New Zealand,” she said.
“We’ve got representatives from Team Australia from Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia and the Kimberley.
“We’ve got representation from all corners, that’s for sure.”
The Australian and New Zealand teams will be formally introduced during Saturday’s program, with both national anthems played before the competition begins.
The international challenge is one of several additions to the rodeo after the inaugural event sold out last year.
A dedicated junior rodeo will be held on Friday from 3:30pm, providing young competitors with an opportunity to take part before Saturday’s main event.
Ms Magner said the alcohol-free junior competition would place the next generation of riders at the centre of the program.
RODEO TO OPEN WITH NGARLUMA CULTURE
The rodeo will be held on Ngarluma Country and will acknowledge the 80th anniversary of the 1946 Pilbara Strike.
Ms Magner said organisers had worked with Ngarluma leaders and Elders to ensure local culture and history were respectfully incorporated into the event.
“We’ve been letting the Ngarluma people inform how they would like to open the event and shaping that feedback into our main program,” she said.
“This is probably the first rodeo that I’ve seen anywhere around Australia that is only opened in a cultural way.”
The approximately 30-minute formal opening will include a Welcome to Country, cultural presentations and a prayer from Aunty Josie for the safety of competitors and spectators.
A PILBARA RODEO DREAM
Karlayura Rodeo was established by Ms Magner and Banjima and Nyiyaparli Elder Brian “BT” Tucker, who had a long-held vision of bringing a major rodeo event to the Pilbara.
Ms Magner said she first heard about Mr Tucker’s plans during an interview broadcast by Ngaarda Media.
She later contacted the station, which connected the pair in about 2020.
“We caught up, had a cup of tea, had a bit of a yarn and I guess Karlayura Rodeo was born,” she said.
After several years of planning, the founders received support from the Norwest Jockey Club and the Roebourne community to hold the inaugural rodeo last year.
Ms Magner said Roebourne’s history and its longstanding role as a gathering place made it a natural home for the event.
“It was really important to keep events like rodeos and the races on the map and make it an annual gathering for families to come together, catch up and enjoy a family day out,” she said.
“That site alone, with the history there and it being a natural gathering place, just made sense.”
Organisers said final-release tickets were selling quickly and warned no additional patrons could be admitted once the event reached capacity.
Tickets are available through the Karlayura Rodeo website and its Facebook, Instagram and TikTok pages.