TOUGHNESS BRED YOUNG UP NORTH
IT’S rodeo night and fearless riders are preparing to battle the toughest bucking beasts the Northern Territory has to offer – but some of these cowboys are still in nappies.
About 100 children as young as three whipped up a storm in Darwin on Saturday night for a Top End junior rodeo that captured the true spirit of the bush.
The bite-sized riders try to stay on bucking calves, which can weigh 100kg, for six seconds to win about $40 in prizemoney.
It’s a family tradition stretching back several generations for mother Cody Hollingsworth, with four of her five children competing.
“It’s in your blood. I don’t think you really get much of a choice,” she said.
Ms Hollingsworth was herself a bull rider and married a rodeo clown, while her father and grandfather also competed.