THE small outback community of Birdsville is digging deep to help young local Izayah Gilby achieve his dream to learn bull riding at this week’s inaugural Isa Rodeo School.
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Izayah will be driven by his mum Kylie, who is taking time off work to drive her keen youngster on the 1400-kilometre round trip from Birdsville to Mount Isa so Izayah can take part in the two-day bull riding course.
She said Izayah was “over the moon” to learn he had been accepted into the school, which is being jointly run by the Mount Isa Rotary Rodeo Inc (MIRRI) and Australian Professional Rodeo Association (APRA).
‘‘When we heard on Wednesday he had been accepted, I went straight up to the school classroom to tell him. He came home three hours later still with the biggest smile on his face,” Kylie said.
“He’s telling everyone he’s going to Mount Isa.”
Kylie says Izayah just loves rodeo and is passionate about becoming a bull rider. ‘‘He just loves it, loves everything about it,” she said.
“He watches bull riding on his phone, over and over. They video each other riding and he watches continuously over and over.”
Izayah started riding in December, 2012 when the family moved from Port Augusta in South Australia to Birdsville. Members of his extended family including keen bull riders Wade Gilby, Curtis Brown and Jordan Davis live locally and are helping the talented youngster polish his bull riding skills.
‘‘I ride in all the rodeos around Birdsville and I’ve been doing this for about two years,” Izayah said.
“I ride bullocks and small bulls. I would like to improve my skills because I’m only 13 and I’m sure there’s a lot the Isa Rodeo School can teach me.’’
If anyone would like to help Izayah and his family to attend the school, contact Kylie on 0439 883 149 or the Isa Rodeo Office on (07) 4743 2706.
More than 30 applications have been accepted for the Isa Rodeo School, which will teach bull and bronc riding as well as bull fighting (protection clown) courses. APRA outgoing General Manager Steve Hilton will oversee the school, which will be held next Tuesday and Wednesday, August 5 and 6 – before the three-day rodeo gets under way on Friday, August 8.
Mount Isa Mines Rotary Rodeo Manager Ms Natalie Flecker said the idea behind the school was to help local riders develop their rodeo skills with expert tuition in a controlled environment.
Mr Hilton said students were mainly from Mount Isa, as well as Julia Creek, Gordonvale, the massive AACO-owned Brunette Downs station and Izayah from Birdsville.
“It is a good indication of the interest in rodeo,” said Mr Hilton. “Rodeo schools are fairly rare, holding one in the area gives everyone the opportunity to learn the correct way from the start.”
The courses will cover an introduction to rodeo, expected conduct of a competitor, theory, equipment, bucking chute and techniques plus animal welfare.
