It’s rodeo week in Mount Isa, easily my favourite time of year in the North West.
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We’ve had an unusual cold morning snap as I write these words on a Monday morning with overnight minimums getting down to one or two degrees and it feeling even colder than that.
But that’s a minor inconvenience as the days warm up to mid to high twenties, perfect weather to greet the large number of tourists expected in the coming days.
I’ve already got my rodeo vibe going, having attended the wonderful homely Quamby rodeo last week and the increasingly slick Curry Merry Muster on the weekend.
It’s no surprise the Merry Muster is a sophisticated operation even though it is run by an entirely volunteer organisation.
Over its 63 years of running it has been noted as one of the top three rodeos in the country with Mount Isa and Warwick and it went off brilliantly on Saturday with not even a power cut putting it out of its stride.
Meanwhile excitement for the Isa Rodeo began with the traditional curtain-raiser the Rodeo Ball on Saturday at Buchanan Park.
I missed it as I was down in the Curry but by all accounts it was a fabulous and glamorous night.
My congratulations go to newly crowned Rodeo Queen Moz Miller and her fellow contestants who use the rodeo to raise valuable funds for local not-for-profit organisations.
The excitement builds on Tuesday with the arrival of 200 Variety Bashers in town and their collection of colourful cars and also the Outbacks Got Talent competition, a valuable addition to the program last year that already seems set to stay.
Then on Wednesday evening we have the Isa Street Festival and modified street parade. The parade won’t be on the scale of Mardi Gras past but it should be fun and of course we have Jessica Mauboy topping the bill to end what should be a great night in the CBD.
The action switches to the racing end of Buchanan Park on Thursday for the afternoon races and then the Mailman races that night, a thrilling spectacle of horses racing against the clock.
Then on Friday the rodeo gates open and it all begins for three great days. Bring it on! – Derek Barry