By Marc McGowan
NAR NAR Goon rodeo rider Alan Simpkin first took to the extreme sport as a 15yearold and 38 years on he has the titles – and scars – to prove it.
Although Mr Simpkin, 53, retired from the sport three years ago, it took yet another injury to finally convince him.
“I broke my back, but I’m all right,” he said. “I’m not in a wheelchair or anything, but it has slowed me up a bit.”
It was the final nail in the coffin of an injuryriddled career that featured breaks to both of his legs, the loss of a thumb and a finger, and numerous other breaks to his battlehardened body.
Mr Simpkin’s specialty was steer wrestling, which involves riding a horse alongside a steer and at full gallop switching on to the latter before turning it on to its side.
It is certainly not one for the faint of heart, but he was able to not only conquer the fear but also thrive on it.
“I got some nice trophies out of it. I was Australian champion twice,” Mr Simpkin said.
“We travelled all of Australia to do it – I won it in 1978 and again in 1989.”
But what qualities does it take to be a successful rodeo rider?
“No brains,” he laughed. “I guess you have to be pretty determined and obviously you have to be able to ride all right.”
These traits were obviously inbuilt in the Simpkin psyche, as both of his brothers, Alan and Stephen, and more recently his eldest son, Adam, competed in the ring.
Adam certainly inherited his father’s genes – he managed to win the Australian Junior Championship.
“We used to practise a lot at home. He sort of went along and he just started doing it,” Mr Simpkin said.
“It’s not quite as fullon (these days). It was still against all of Australia, but he didn’t have to go to quite as many rodeos.”
Despite being a step lower these days, he would not hand back his rodeo career for anything.
“I don’t regret doing it; I maybe shouldn’t have done it as long,” Mr Simpkin said. “I’m still working; (my body) just aches every now and then.”
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