From left: Lang Lang Rodeo Committee members Jim Brown, Hugh Bourke, president Alan Light and senior vicepresident Stephan Kent are ready for another successful event on Easter Monday.
By Elizabeth Lillis
LANG Lang will come alive on Easter Monday with the exciting sights and sounds of the popular rodeo.
The Lang Lang Rodeo is in its 64th year.
Lang Lang Rodeo Committee president Alan Light said the event was the longest consecutive running rodeo in Australia.
He said the event, held at Lang Lang Showgrounds, had changed with the times with support from the local community, particularly those involved in farming.
It began as part of the Lang Lang Show and had its first separate full program in 1943.
That year the prize money for the steer riding was 10 pounds, with three pounds for second and two pounds for third.
“This year the top prize money in the team roping competition is $1500,” Mr Light said.
He said the competition had become more professional.
It is part of the Australian Professional Rough Riders’ Association and has points awarded on the national rodeo circuit.
Mr Light said in the 1940s people would travel from Melbourne by train.
“They say there was just flood of people walking down the road when the train came in,” he said.
Female riders got into the action in the late 1940s and famous champion buck jump rider Kit Gill visited the show in 1947.
Mr Light said after her visit, a ladies’ buck jumping event was started and ran annually until 1961.
Herb Glover supplied the steers for the steer riding for many years and now his son Kevin continues the tradition.
“Many people were great contributors over the years including Dick Poole, H. and M. Bourke, W.C. Greaves, Claude Einsiede and Peter Ronald,” Mr Light said.
“Rupert Richardson was a great pickup man, he was a bit a like a modern Clancy of the Overflow.”
Mr Light said Mr Richardson had a showjumping team in the Sydney Easter Show but would especially fly down to work as pickup man, controlling the bucking horses.
In 1967 the event drew a crowd of about 20,000 people.
Today the event aims to appeal to families.
“It is about bringing station life to the city,” Mr Light said.
He said the event gave people the opportunity to see some of the skills needed to work with animals in rural life.
Main events this year include the feature saddle bronc, null rise, bareback, rope and tie, steer wrestling, team roping, barrel race and breakaway roping.
The second division steer ride and saddle bronc, and the junior barrel race and steer ride will feature rodeo stars of the future and also attract lots of attention.
Over the lunch break the dog high jump competition will be held.
“This is a popular event. We encourage people to bring their dogs along for this,” Mr Light said.
First prize is $300.
A beaut utes competition also draws people to the rodeo, according to Mr Light.
Sections in the competition include best chicks, best B and S, best Ford, best Holden, most feral, best town ute and best 4 x4.
Prizes will be awarded for first to third in every category and entries are accepted on the day before 11.30am.
Mr Light said in the past, local charities took the opportunity to fundraise at the event.
“The Kooweerup Hospital Ladies Auxiliary would walk around the arena with a blanket and people would throw their donations in,” he said.
“This year the pink ladies will be along to collect for Breast Cancer Research.”
Starting time for the action on Monday, 9 April is 10am with admission prices $15 for adults and $2 for children.
