Pictures: JAMES MURPHY
THE Dartmoor Football Club and Woodall Rodeo Promotions showcased yet another spectacle of man against beast, with the 2019 Dartmoor Chute Out Rodeo providing no shortage of entertainment on Saturday night.
Approximately 3000 spectators flocked to the Dartmoor football oval for the annual event, which never fails to captivate.
Unlike 2018, the open bull ride saw several cowboys best their beasts, as they fought for the full eight seconds to post a valid score.
Heywood rider and local favourite Sam Woodall recorded the best ride of the night, with a score of 81 in round one of the open class, handing him the honours for the first of a split two-round event.
However, taking home the top prize money was Merijig cowboy Lachlan Cullican, who had a hot hand on the night to score in both rounds.
His score of 74 saw him place third in round one behind Colac’s Sam Daly (78), while he was the only cowboy to last the distance in round two, with a 76-point ride enough to secure the victory.
In the open saddlebronc event, David Stacey claimed the honours, with a solid 83-point ride, while James Maloney secured second with 66 points.
Cody Tyrell won the open bareback event with a score of 78, while Paddy Webster was the only other to see out the eight seconds, with a 66-point ride.
Placings went down to fourth in the second division bull ride, with the top ride a score of 75 from Dylan Richardson.
Cullican (64) added to his winnings on the night with a second place, while Darcy Lawlor (63) and Cody Gibbins (57) also took home some prize money for their efforts.
The only cowboy to make the distance in the second division saddlebronc was Cecil Luxford, who claimed the top prize with a score of 52.
The largest field on the night was once again the women’s barrel race, which was this year won by Heywood young-gun Morgan McLean, who also took out the junior category.
At just 16 years of age, McLean won the women’s division from Cindy Marsh by just 0.02 of a second, with a solid time of 14.255.
A slightly slower time of 14.326 was enough to see her across the line first in the junior barrel race, with Memphis Osbourne riding a 15.013 to finish runner-up.
The popular event was deemed a success once again this year and Dartmoor Football Club secretary Kim Pratt said it could not have run smoother.
“We are really happy, it was a bigger crowd than last year,” she said.
“Everything worked perfectly, there was not a problem at all, so we cannot complain.
“The weather played a massive part, obviously people are happy to go and sit outside on a night like Saturday.
“We were very lucky.”
After there was no winner in the 2018 open bull ride, Pratt said it was great for spectators to be treated to several successful rides on Saturday.
“We had some really high-end competitors competing,” she said.
“To get scores on the board in both rounds of the Open bullride as well, it was really great to see.”
She also commented on McLean’s standout performance and said it was an impressive effort for the upcoming rodeo star.
“She just got herself a new trained horse, so she came out and did really well,” Pratt said.
There was no junior bull ride event on the weekend and Pratt said it was due to lack of numbers, with the two main riders both competing in the second division category anyway.
Aside from the action in the arena, the event had several new attractions for families.
“It was great to see the sideshow side of things a great hit for all the kids,” Pratt said.
“We got a lot of feedback from that, saying it was fantastic to have a lot more this year.”
Probably the most popular of these was a petting zoo, which Pratt said was a “hit” for the youngsters in attendance.
Acting as the Dartmoor Football Club’s major fundraiser for the year, Pratt said overall it was a “fantastic night and was successful for the club”.
