As the stock contractor for this month's Mount Isa Mines Rodeo, Darren `Brandy' Brandenburg knows all about good breeding.
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A former Australian bull riding champion, the rodeo bull breeder and stock contractor, based at Bloomsbury near Mackay, Darren, along with his daughter Dakota Brandenburg, supplies the bucking stock - bulls and broncs - to the biggest rodeo in the Southern Hemisphere, being held from August 8 to 11.
It's this expertise in genetics and breeding he shares with Victorian-based Garry McPhee, whom Brandy sub-contracts to supply the bucking broncs, which, along with the bulls, are arguably the real stars of the rodeo.
Like Brandenburg, McPhee is also a former multi Australian champion cowboy, who won his first Australian championship in 1971. He won four All Around championships and another 13 national titles before starting his own rodeo company five years later.
McPhee says the broncs to watch at this month's Isa Rodeo are the product of decades of breeding. He names Cheyenne Top Girl, a six-time Bucking Horse of the Year; Cajun Lady and and Cheyenne Brave, a Bareback Horse of the Year as some of his top broncs.
"I've also got some up and coming broncs - Queen of Spades in the bareback and Try Me and Still a Secret, who are saddlebroncs - they will be good to watch," said McPhee. "The quality of broncs is every bit as good as last year, if not better - it will be spectacular."
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Brandy knows all eyes will be on his bucking bulls with names like Beserk and Slam `n' Jam. "We have a new bull in partnership with MJ Bucking Bulls called Beserk," he said. "He was one of the high marked bulls at PBR and is unridden so far (meaning no cowboy has stayed on the required eight seconds).
Others to watch are a Brahman cross called Gangatino, Arachnophobia, DOC and It's a Gambulll.
"We have another Bintang bull called Incredible who is also unridden. The breeding is making bulls unbelievably tough to ride. Slam `n' Jam is a real crowd favourite and has his own fan club."
Mount Isa's world-class rodeo competition, including bull riding, saddle bronc and bareback, steer wrestling, roping, ladies barrel racing and breakaway roping kicks off on Thursday, August 8 attracting the best cowboys and cowgirls competing for $230,000 in cash and prize buckles.
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Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
