My Account
All the thrills and spills of the rodeo will return to Warkworth Showgrounds on January 1, and once again the rodeo promises to sort the real cowboys from the wannabes.
The Warkworth Rodeo falls in the middle of the Christmas circuit of 11 rodeos in nine days, starting with Rerewhakaaitu on December 26 and ending with Oruru Valley, in the far north, on January 3.
Warkworth Rodeo secretary Krista Fletcher says by the time competitors get to Warkworth some will be tired and broken ,but others will be chasing national event titles.
She says it’s not unknown for those in the latter category to compete in events in Warkworth in the morning then hop on a plane to compete in the same events in Wanaka in the afternoon.
Adding to the competitive tension, a contingent of Australian cowboys is expected to cross the ditch to compete in the Christmas circuit.
“In the past, they have come here expecting to clean up and take all the prize money, but we have our own champions in New Zealand who not only do well at home, but who have also competed in Australia, Canada and the USA very successfully,” Krista says.
Krista says the event that attracts the most interest at Warkworth has always been the open bull ride.
“We have been known for many years for our string of excellent bucking bulls, many of which have been locally bred and are owned by the club,” she says.
Other events include bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, rope and tie, steer wrestling, barrel racing and team roping, where teams often comprise a man and a woman or two women.
“The women’s barrel race is especially popular and the crowd love to cheer the locals and the youngest competitors,” Krista says.
Krista says a tightening of the Rodeos Code of Welfare and health and safety considerations means the rodeo is unable to offer any events for children.
“But we do stop around noon and bring all the kids into the arena to blow off a bit of steam, roll around in the dust and get a handful of lollies for their efforts. For some littlies, it is the highlight of their day,” she says.
Krista says negative publicity surrounding rodeos and allegations of animal cruelty have prompted the club to become ever more vigilant about observing the Code of Welfare.
“The day is usually a hot one and we feel it is good family entertainment especially when the cowboys come in second and eat a bit of dirt – that is a crowd pleaser,” she says.
The 2019 Warkworth Rodeo is the 59th held at the Showgrounds. The show starts at 11am and continues until about 4pm.
