About the Mullewa Rodeo
The first Mullewa Rodeo was held in 2012 and since then it has grown to be a signature event for the City of Greater Geraldton attracting over 3,000 attendees. Held on the WA Day Long Weekend, the Mullewa Rodeo is an ABCRA (Australian Bushmen’s Campdraft and Rodeo Association) affiliated rodeo and in 2017 Mullewa was proud to host the ABCRA Australian Championship Rodeo. The ABCRA is the largest Rodeo and Campdraft organization in Australia, with over 4,000 members and many more ‘day competitors’. The Association has over 200 affiliated committees throughout the country and events attract many hundreds of thousands of spectators each year.
Full Points + $35,600 Prize Money
The ABCRA conducts a point scoring system to determine National Champions, which does not discriminate against less financial committees and puts the emphasis on sportsmanship and consistent competition. Results from all affiliated committees are sent to Head Office where the points are recorded to five places for each member. From this recording system, the National High Point Standings are computed.
Rodeo Events
Rodeo is a sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It includes the following events:
Bull Riding
The most popular rodeo event and by far the most dangerous. A loose rope straps a man’s hand to a tonne of explosive power; he must draw upon his sharpest mental and physical abilities to keep his position and balance. A bull rider is constantly grabbing for new holds with his feet and continually pulling up on the rope. The more powerfully a bull bucks and the faster he spins the more points the ride is worth. There’s also a junior steer ride and poddy calf ride.
View Past Results
Bull Riding - Open
Novice Bull Ride
Bareback Riding
Physical and very demanding event for the competitor. A suit-case like handle is attached to the top of the leather rigging, cinched around the horse’s middle. Â The contestant grips this handle with one hand, keeps his other free and high in the air. Ideally bareback riders want to try to spur the horse on each jump.
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Bareback Riding - Open
Saddle Bronc
This is considered the classic rodeo event and this competition is definitely not for beginners. Instinctive reactions are required to keep in the stirrups, sense what the horse will do next and synchronise with the bronc’s movement – make this event one with no substitute for years of experience. Since there in nothing solid to hold on to, a cowboy can only stay in the saddle through timing and balance.
View Past Results
Saddle Bronc - Open
Steer Wrestling
This event requires not only speed and agility, but also physical size and strength. When a man drops from the side of a galloping horse onto a running steer and throws him to the ground. The steer wrestler’s partner is called a ‘hazer’ and aids him by lining up the charging steer. The time stops after the contestant has thrown and turned the steer’s head and all four feet are out in the same direction.
View Past Results
Steer Wrestling - Open
Rope & Tie
An event that shows the grace and beauty of true horsemanship along with the athletic skills of both horse and rider. Roping is a race against time with the seconds counted in decimal points. To win, a horse and rider must work together in precision teamwork. The contest begins when the calf is released from the chute with the rider and horse chasing behind. A good horse will carry its rider in perfect accord with every move of the calf and when the rope is thrown will stoop on a dime, back up so the rope is pulled taut allowing the roper to dismount, run down the rope, throw the calf and tie any three legs with the ‘piggin string’ and then signal ‘all clear’ with his hands in the air. The rider must remount his horse and slacken the rope to prove the tie, which must then hold for six seconds.
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Rope & Tie
Team Roping
This event owes its very existence to the everyday work of the working cowboy. The header starts the time when he leaves the box in pursuit of the runaway steer. His job is to rope the steer’s horns, take a dally and turn the steer away from his partner. With great skill and accurate timing the heeler then ropes the steer’s hind legs and takes his dally. When both header and heeler face their horses towards the steer, time stops.
View Past Results
Team Roping - Open
Barrel Racing
An all-female event that tests the speed and agility of both cowgirl and horse. The horses ridden in the event are extremely athletic, matching their speed and turns to the cues given by the riders. The clock is set in motion when the girl and the horse cross the starting line and is stopped when she re-crosses the line. The rider and her mount must ride in a cloverleaf pattern around the three barrels. A five second penalty applies for overturned barrels. This event is certainly one of sheer elegance and precise timing.
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Juvenile Barrel Race (14-U18)
Junior Barrel Race (11-U14)
Junior Barrel Race (U11)
Breakaway Roping
The female version of calf roping. This event differs in that the cowgirl instead has the rope tied to the saddle horn with a ribbon. When the calf is roped, the horse pulls up and calf keeps running until the rope is taut, which then ‘breaks’ the rope from the saddle horn and the time is taken.
View Past Results
Breakaway Roping - Open
Junior Breakaway Roping (8-U18)
Steer Undecorating
The female version of steer wrestling. But, in this event the cowgirl has to catch up to the steer and remove the ribbon attached to its back. Like the steer wrestling, the cowgirl is allowed a ‘hazer’ to help her to line up the steer perfectly to allow her to remove the ribbon. Time is taken when she removes the ribbon from the steer and raises it high over her head.
View Past Results
Steer Undecorating - Open
Steer Riding (Junior Event)
Steer riding is a rodeo youth event that is an introductory form of bull riding for younger riders. Instead of bucking bulls, the children ride steers that buck. Steers are used because they are known to have a less volatile temperament than bulls and many breeds weigh less than bulls, which makes them a perfect stepping stone to junior bulls.