As the rain hung in the surrounding mountains, the scene was set for another fantastic event at the King of the Ranges Stockman’s Challenge and Bush Festival on the weekend.
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The 12th annual event kicked off a busy couple of weeks in the Upper Hunter and it continued its great form to be a much talked about event.
The premiere stockman’s event was held at the Rosedale Complex in Murrurundi on Friday, Saturday and Sunday where some great displays of traditional bush skills were witnessed.
Long term competitor Bronson Macklinshaw was crowned the winner and deemed the ‘King of the Ranges’ after an excellent wild horse catch and stocksaddle buckjump in front of an excited crowd on Sunday afternoon.
Money was on Macklinshaw to be in the top places as the horse breaker and trainer from Armidale recently won the Snowy River Challenge at Corryong proving his strength as a fierce competitor.
In his brief words during the event, Mr Macklinshaw said he was really pleased to win the event as he has been travelling down to Murrurundi to compete for many years and it is a challenge he really enjoys being a part of.
Macklinshaw was joined in the winner’s circle by Emma O’Shea who took out the ladies champion, Nick Roe who won the junior division and Dave Rixon was the masters winner.
Local competitors ensured they made their presence known with two Rouchel men Geoffrey Hall and Wade Miles qualifying in the top 10 finalists.
After the challenges of the wild horse catch and stocksaddle buckjump, Hall finished fourth overall and also won the highest scoring local competitor, and Miles finished ninth overall.
Both men were part of the overall winning colour team, as was local female competitor Racheal Finlayson, Racheal’s sister Sarah also took out the rookie winner.
Masters competitor Dave Winter was also successful, winning the open and masters horse shoeing components of the challenge.
The wild card competitor, who was drawn out of a hat to compete in the two finals events, was visitor from the Gulf of Carpentaria Gerald Aplin, who was sponsored by the committee to take part in this year’s event.
The bush festival was another great success with lots of amusements including bush poetry, billy goat cart races, damper cooking, billy boiling and the fun of the open steer ride and open poley saddle buckjump on Saturday evening.
King of the Ranges Stockman’s Challenge and Bush Festival president Ray Hynes said the committee were pleased with the numbers through the gate this year with the weather supporting them throughout the weekend.
“We were very pleased with spectator numbers on Saturday and Sunday with a packed viewing area for the Saturday night rodeo events.
“While it wasn’t sunny the weather never prevented any planned events form taking place,” Mr Hynes said.
“For the first time the King of the Ranges sponsored a young indigenous stockman from the Gulf of Carpentaria.
“The committee was pleased to host his boss, Lawn Hill Riversleigh Pastoral Company’s station manager, their financial controller and the vice chair of the board throughout the weekend,” he said.
“They were very pleased with the personal growth in their employee and are hoping to grow the partnership with the committee.”
