David Gillespie (Lyne, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to bring to the attention of the House the flourishing rodeo and campdrafting circuit in the wonderful Lyne electorate. Back at Easter, Dungog put on a large rodeo with at least 4,000 people attending. I want to congratulate Bill Rumbel, David Hudson and Carol Anne Cummins for putting on such a wonderful event.

I attended the Gresford rodeo on 25 August and I was amazed by the skills of the junior competitors. They start early in Gresford, with children under the age of 10 holding onto steers. The help and guidance from the clowns and the safety officers was really amazing. There were great skills and great courage from very young Australians.

This weekend at the Stroud rodeo and campdrafting it was bigger than ever before. Eight thousand people attended and enjoyed seeing great horsemanship skills, fantastic riders and incredible skills in the bronco and bull riding and barrel riding. There were all the thrills and spills, but it was completely safe and so well organised. I'd like to congratulate Annette Baldwin, the Cummings, the Davies, the Dennises, the Edwards, the Farnham family, the Hares, the Gilberts, the Gortons, the Greenhams, the Hamiltons, the Kemps, the Mayton family, Chris Melmeth in particular, the Thompsons, George Trinkler, the Wilmans, the Wares, the Tarrants, Molly Went, and Colin and Roz Ince. What an amazing community. (Time expired)