Kyabram Show Society secretary Janelle McDonald said there would be a great line-up of horses and bulls, and that locals could expect the usual rodeo atmosphere.
The open ride is the final event of the night, with 12 to 14 riders trying to stay atop a 1200kg angry brahman bull for eight seconds.
“Eight seconds is a long time if you’re on top of an angry bull, it’s like a lifetime,” Ms McDonald said.
There will be riders going without a saddle in bareback rides, and barrel racing where riders race around an obstacle course, galloping around 44 gallon drums.
And then some daring cowboys will put on a spectacle with steer wrestling.
“The cowboys jump off the back of the horse and grab the steer by the horns and they roll it to the ground,” Ms McDonald said.
“The back of the head has to hit the ground to stop the clock. They do it in 10, 15, 20 seconds.”
Some of the horns are a foot long and very pointy, but the blokes are good at avoiding them.
And don’t blink or you’ll miss the action of the break-away roping event.
Cowgirls wait astride their horse behind a barrier, the barrier drops and they have to run out and lasso a steer after a three-second delay.
“It’s the fastest sporting event for ladies in the world, which his pretty impressive,” Ms McDonald said.
Local Kyabram musician Callum Gleeson will be performing from 11pm, as soon as the bull rides finish.
Along with the action in the arena, there is also a sideshow alley, a mechanical bucking bull, a variety of food and coffee vans and a bar.
The rodeo is held annually on the Friday night of the Labour Day long weekend, with a large number of top riders from all across Australia converging on Kyabram.
The event is one of the five longest-running rodeos in Australia and has been inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame.
The event had operated each year since it started in 1946 (until COVID-19 hit), and switched to a night rodeo in 2005 after transitioning from a day event on the Monday.
The event was cancelled last year due to pandemic restrictions on what was to be its 75th year straight, so locals should expect an extra special show to make up for lost time.
Gates open at 5pm and admission tickets are to be pre-purchased online via the Kyabram rodeo website. No refunds will be issued if you cannot attend.
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