General News
24 July, 2024
Quamby to come alive for annual rodeo
Thousands will flock to the tiny parish north of Cloncurry on the weekend.
Penny McMillan isn’t exactly sure why the Quamby Rodeo is so popular, but is grateful to those who travel far and wide to be at the iconic event each year.
If you drove past the grounds a fortnight ago, you wouldn’t have seen much apart from overgrown scrub and spinifex.
But arrive on Saturday and you’ll see hundreds of cars, trailers and tents as people gather from all over the North West.
“The grounds have still got cattle in there to eat it all down,” said Penny when speaking to North West Weekly prior to the event.
“It was a very good season.”
The secretary of the Quamby All Sports Association admitted to being “a bit anxious and nervous” about the event, but said it was mostly pre-Quamby jitters.
“It’s been cold and windy so I hope people turn up,” she said.
“A lot of work goes into it and it is a real community event – everyone who contributes is working on their own properties, which is a big workload in itself.
“For them to have time to put on the rodeo is a great effort.”
Penny was in her 20s when the first Quamby Rodeo was staged in 1997 and said it had continued to grow ever since.
“I think the reason why people like it so much is because it is so relaxed and we do cater for everyone, especially families,” she said.
“Our prices are cheap – we only charge $15 to get in for adults and our kids entertainment is free.
“The drinks and food prices are also affordable for families and you can camp for free, too.”
Penny said EFTPOS facilities would be available at Quamby this year, but urged everyone to bring cash, just in case.
“Things can go wrong in the bush but if you have cash you will still be able to buy things.”
The action at Quamby begins on Friday afternoon with roping and steer wrestling events, although the main event is on Saturday.
The arena will be bustling from 7.30am until the evening with a full card of rodeo events.
Luke Geiger will then perform in front of a welcoming crowd.
“He’s part of the whole show now. We don’t even need to ask him to come,” Penny said.