IN PICTURES: Big crowd and big thrills at Kalgan Stampede

The fifth Kalgan Stampede drew people from all over to the small riverside town of Kalgan last Tuesday for an afternoon of family fun, food and rodeo action. About 4500 people attended the event, including 200 competitors, and Kalgan Stampede organiser Tom Kennedy was impressed by not only the turnout but by behaviour on the day. “It was our biggest crowd and everyone was very well-behaved and respectful, which makes for a good experience,” he said. “The rodeo has that old-school kind of entertainment, when you get a group of people together, the atmosphere is electric.” A strong effort from Jack Collins earned the determined rider saddle bronc first place while rope and tie honours went to Alister Oversby. The novice barrel horse event had a field of skilled riders take to the arena, but it was the talent and agility of young Georgia Mills that saw her take first place. Rider Luke Metcalf took out the bareback competition with a score of 68, while Teneale Kearney won the breakaway roping and Audrey Bush claimed ladies barrel race honours. Melissa Foster narrowly took the win in the steer undercoating over Margriet Vanderzee with a score of 14.875, and the results were equally close in the novice bullriding, with top competitors Stephen Brockhurst and Andrew Brown both earning a score of 70. Nadine Bolsenbroek won the mixed-gender team roping with a score of 26.5 while Paul Casey was steer wrestling champion. Standouts in the Junior events were Riley Watts, Luke Jeffery, Kiara Edwards, Jimmy Bradshaw, Amelia Robinson and Cobb Oversby.