Have you ever been to a real live rodeo?

Hang on there!
If your answer is no, then I suggest you make plans to go to this one in Mullewa! It has been touted as "
red dust in the real bush", and this is an apt description. It would be a great opportunity to get away for the WA Day long weekend, or if you are retired like me, for a whole week.
Rodeos and musters are what I would call "
old fashioned" nowadays. Having grown up seeing this sort of thing continually on television, I was very excited when I went to my first real rodeo many years ago. Even the smell of the country air is different, and I found, very relaxing and interesting.
This rodeo will be held at the Mullewa Recreation Ground, 26 Main Road, Mullewa. It will be on the long weekend starting on Saturday 2nd June 2018 from 8.00 am until 11.45 pm.
The programme of events for the day is as follows:
* FRIDAY 1ST JUNE – the camp grounds open 12 noon. Please do not bring alcohol and all vehicles will be checked on arrival. The Sports Club, which is situated on the site, will be open for dinner and drinks. The Railway Hotel will also be open for dinner and drinks. The hotel is just a short walk through the town.
* SATURDAY 2ND JUNE - The main gates will open at 8.00 am and breakfast will be available on site from 7.00 am. 8.00 am will be the ABCRA Australian Championship Rodeo with full points and prize money.
For ABCRA affiliated, there is $35,000 up for grabs plus custom buckles and prizes.
Events include:

Classic rodeo event - not for beginners!

Team roping is everyday work for the working cowboy

The female version of steer wrestling

The female version of calf roping

Requires speed and agility, and physical size and strength
Juvenile and Juniors Steer Ride

Barrel racing is open to all ages
The Midwest Barrel Race is open to locals within a 100 km radius of Mullewa.
Whip Cracking Competition – Under 13's and Open classes - you will need to register near Ute Comp at 1.30 pm, with the competition starting at 2.00 pm.
OTHER ENTERTAINMENT
Ricochet Circus will conduct a 30-minute stage show prior to the Country Music Concert. There will also be two 60-minute "have-a-go" workshops.
Other free activities for all ages include:
200 "have-a-go" leather craft workshops, first in best dressed.
Amber Lawrence will perform a 30-minute acoustic concert, especially for the children during the afternoon.
CONCERTAs well as all this, there will also be a country music concert which will commence at 6.00 pm and go until 11.45 pm. This will feature Travis Collins and Amber Lawrence and will be supported by Renegade.

Live entertainment for the day
For the complete program of the concert, please go to this
link.
There will be plenty of food and refreshments, along with giftware, western gear and information stalls.
The bar will be open for the rodeo at 12 noon till 5.30 pm, as well as from 6.00 pm till 11.30 pm for the concert.
* SUNDAY 3RD JUNE - breakfast will be available from 7.00 am at the Recreation Centre Kitchen. The money from this will support the local primary school P&F.
TICKETS
You can get your tickets at the Gate on the day, or book them online at
this link but only until 30th May.
CAMPING
There will be free camping on the grounds for those who wish to do this. This will be open at noon on the Friday and there are no bookings for this. It will just be "first in best dressed" as the saying goes. There are also some powered sites available at the nearby Caravan Park.
There is definitely no BYO alcohol. Also, no dogs and definitely no glass allowed around the whole of the recreation grounds and all vehicles will be checked on entry.
BEAUT UTE
There will also be a competition with several categories for a beaut -ute. This will be on from 10.00 am and there are seven categories:

Beaut ute competition
You can read all about this event at this
link.
ABOUT THE MULLEWA RODEO
The first Mullewa Rodeo was held in 2012 and since then, it has grown to be a trademark event for the City of Geraldton. It usually attracts about 4,000 people and is 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 hosted the ABCRA Australian Championship Rodeo.
The ABCRA is the largest Rodeo and Camp-draft organisation in Australia with over 4,000 members and many more who compete on a day basis. The ABCRA conducts a point scoring system to determine National Champions.
This 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. This is what is meant above by "full points".
Bull riding is the most popular rodeo event and by far the most dangerous. For this, there is a loose rope strapped to a man's hand to a tonne of bull power. The man has to draw upon his sharpest mental and physical abilities to keep his position and balance. The system works that the more powerfully a bull bucks, and the faster he spins, the more points the ride is worth!
ENTRY FEES
To enter into any of the events of the weekend, costs are as follows:
Adults: $30 $5 admin fee $45 ABCRA Day Membership = $80
Junior: $20 $5 admin fee $20 ABCRA Day Membership = $45
You can find out more about this exciting weekend at this website.