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Memorial Stampede postponed due to rain


Tye Simmonds inspecting the rain-soaked Renshaw showgrounds. Photo TWH
Layton Holley

Due to the relentless rain over the past week, which has closed many roads and turned Renshaw Oval into a swimming pool, the Peter Simmonds Memorial Pro Rodeo has been postponed from October 15 to December 3rd.

Organiser, bronco rider and nephew of the late Peter Simmonds, Tye Simmonds, said that although the date has changed the event will run as planned, bigger and better than ever.

“We can’t knock the rain,” Tye said, “it’s just something out of our control.

“We know it’s great for the farmers and the community out here, but unfortunately, it’s not great for a rodeo.

“Most roads out here are shut now, with more rain forecast.

“So, the committee decided to postpone, and we picked a new date on December 3rd, so we will see what the rain does in the next month, and hopefully, we can run it on that date. If not, we will have to postpone again, but we won’t cancel it.

“It’s very disappointing to postpone so close to the event,” Tye continued, “the committee has done a fantastic job, and everyone has jumped on board and backed us to get everything ready.

“Just about everything was done and ready leading into the weekend for the rodeo, and the only thing that was going to pull us up was the rain, so it’s very disappointing, but I guess it wasn’t meant to be.

The Back O’Bourke Memorial Pro Rodeo will be the first rodeo held in Bourke in 22 years and will feature some of the best cowboys and cowgirls in Australia, including the number one bull rider from Victoria, Greg Hamilton.

“Although the date has changed, the event will still run the same,” Tye said.

“We will still have the Peter Simmonds Memorial Shootout, which starts with 40 to 50 saddle bronc riders, and that will slim down to the top six who will shoot it out in the last event of the evening for the prominent spot.

“Then, to wrap things up, we will have live music and fireworks after the show.”

Tye said that December is the perfect time to hold the event, after the National Finals, where all the contenders are raring to get stuck into the 2023 season.

“We have the National Finals on the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th of November,” he said, “so once they roll past, everything will be a bit slow for a couple of weeks and come December 3rd, all the cowboys and cowgirls will be getting ready for the 2023 season.


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