Elsewhere on this page, you can read the first column this year from Mount Isa Mines Rotary Rodeo manager Natalie Flecker.
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I’m very much looking forward to my first Mount Isa Rodeo, the centrepiece event of the city.
While researching old stories in the North West Star for our 50 years feature, the wonderful story of the rodeo (which started in 1959 and so is seven years older than the Star), and how much it meant and still means to the Isa, comes out time and time again.
I read about the massive crowds that came to Kalkadoon Park over the years, the fun of the mardi gras, the bravery of bull and bronc riding champions, the always glamorous rodeo queens, and the difficult but necessary decision to move the event to Buchanan Park.
Today the Mount Isa rodeo is a well-oiled machine managed by a highly professional team managing $200,000 in prize money that attracts the best rodeo stars in the business.
The rodeo is now recognised across Australia as a major event and of course now it is official.
Last week the State Government announced that it had indeed recognised it as a major event.
Major events are judged by the answers to following questions:
Does it contribute to the Queensland economy? does it attract visitors to Queensland? does it enhance the profile of Queensland? does it foster community pride in Queensland?
I think that on all four criteria the Mount Isa Rodeo answers a resounding “yes”.
The designation means that the rodeo will receive a lot more government attention, support and money.
There is a fabulous line-up of events for the 2016 Rodeo so get out on the weekend of August 12 and support Mount Isa’s premier event.
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By the time you read this I will be away on one week’s annual leave taking my time down the coast to Brisbane.
I’ll be back in Mount Isa on Tuesday, May 31.
‘Bye until then,
Derek Barry