David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Monday marks the commencement of the 2016 Warwick Rodeo, which is Australia's most famous rodeo. Warwick Rodeo was immortalised in a song by Australian country music legend Buddy Williams in the early 1940s, but also from the old line: 'Never the horse that couldn't be road; never the rider that couldn't be throwed.' Well before then, however, Warwick had a traditional of horsemanship and great riders to match the city's sandstone buildings, fine churches, rose gardens and wide tree-lined streets.

This year will mark the 88th Warwick Rodeo. It will attract 30,000 people and inject more than $15 million into the local economy, bringing visitors from as far afield as Western Australia. Australia's top 15 bull riders have also been invited to compete. It will culminate in the crowning of the national champion on Sunday, 30 October.

Campdrafters from around the country will also descend on Warwick to compete in the prestigious Gold Cup, with nearly $190,000 in prizemoney, plus the offer of the Triple Bonus Crown of $30,000 up for grabs for anyone who can win the Chinchilla Grandfather, the Condamine Bell and the Warwick Gold Cup Campdraft. Warwick's Rodeo has become the pinnacle for every campdrafter in Australia.

I congratulate Dr John Kiss and his Warwick Show and Rodeo Society on continually building each year on what has become one of Queensland's and Australia's most iconic events.

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