While you may have uttered the words “not my first rodeo”, this post will help you get ready for the real thing. While rodeos began in the U.S., the Australian Outback has many rodeo events where I attended my very first.
Where and when are rodeos?
In Australia, rodeos are on at different times of the year often annually for each specific rodeo. You can check on the National Rodeo Association Website. My friends and I went to the Boddington Rodeo in Western Australia and that takes place every first weekend in November.
Do I need to book?
Tickets are often available online beforehand and many let you buy on the door in cash. To be safe I’d recommend buying tickets online as rodeos are becoming increasingly popular (maybe inline with the increasing popularity of country music?) so that you don’t miss out. If you’re staying for the weekend booking your camping spot is the most important as this will sell out and most of these Outback towns do not have enough hotel beds to cater for the thousands who turn up for this events.
What to bring
I would bring water and snacks with you in case of long queues at food and drink stands. Plus it’s a long day you want to keep hydrated and blood sugars up. Saying that, enjoying the American BBQ stall and trying a CC + Dry for the first time was a great part of the day.
What to wear
Cowboy hats are not just for fashion but to keep that midday sun off your head. I opted for a black fedora and pretty much everyone had a wide brimmed hat on rather than a cap. So if you’re worried you’ll look silly get that fear out of your head you’ll fit right in.
What to expect
As with attending horse racing events, your stance on animal welfare may affect your enjoyment of the day. The horses buck around with the cowboys on their back because they are irritated by the belt around them and are trying to shake it off. There are staff surrounding them to take the belt off as soon as possible and the animals did not seem distressed (more annoyed for 10 seconds) but I could see how people might find that upsetting.
At Boddington Rodeo, the events ran from 12pm to 5pm followed by the “Bushman’s Ball” with live music in the bar area. The first few hours of this were fantastic but it quickly became very overcrowded and so we called it a night (plus we had the 2 hour drive back to Perth).
Unlike horse racing, rodeos are more family friendly events and we all had such a good day.
I can safely say I thoroughly enjoyed my first rodeo and would love to attend another even if it is just so I can say “This isn’t my first rodeo”.