YEE-HAH! LOCALS TO TAKE ON THE WORLD

FOUR talented horse riders from across the region will get a chance to showcase their skills on an international stage at the Extreme Cowboy Racing World Championships this year.

The sport, founded in America 10 years ago, tests a rider’s ability during a timed obstacle course.

Open to all breeds of horses, and riders over the age of 7, the first Australian Extreme Cowboy Racing club was established in Geelong by Shane Woodall in 2015. It has since grown to 120 members. The 37-year-old and fellow riders Barry Tomlin, Narelle Unmack and Kerry Collins will leave for the US on October 8 in preparation for the competition in Texas this November.

“We will be the first Australian’s to ride at the World Show and compete against the best in the world,” Mr Woodall said.

“Extreme Cowboy Racing is showing the horsemanship, trust and partnership you can gain with your horse to get around a series of obstacles.

“You get scored individually on the obstacles as well as your horsemanship score and to top it all off they throw the time into it too, so it’s a race.”

Participation in the World Show costs each rider about $7000.

As part of the course, horses may be made to jump, cross bridges, go through water and drag logs.

“We can’t take our own horses to the States, so they’re supplying horses for us and we get to spend three and a half weeks getting to know them and seeing what we can get done before we race in the World Show against the best,” he said.

In March, Mr Woodall brought out World Champion Annie Chance, from America, and respected international judge Peter Fraser, from Canada, to oversee a two-day Australian Championship Race at the Geelong Equestrian Centre in Leopold.

“Our youngest member is 7 because that’s when the racing age opens and our oldest member was my father who is 70,” he said.

Mr Woodall achieved his five-year goal of riding at the World Show in two years and has now raised the bar further with a two-year goal to compete in the Cowboy Up Challenge at the Calgary Stampede, Canada, which is reserved for the top 10 riders in the world.

Prospective members or sponsors can visit downunderextreme cowboys.com for more information.