Big field for main event
RICHEST BULL RIDE NAMED IN HONOUR YOUNG RIDER
This weekend’s new-look Ingham Sugar City Rodeo features Australia’s richest junior bull ride named in honour of a beloved farm boy who died in tragic circumstances last year.
The Will Murdoch Memorial Bull Ride for 14-17-yearolds at the annual rodeo at the Multipurpose Sports Arena at the Ingham Show Grounds offers cash prizes totalling $2000 and has attracted significant interest from throughout North Queensland.
“There are a few young fellas coming through from Ingham and it would be good to see them pick up Willy’s title,” said Andy Murdoch, the new president of the rodeo organising committee.
Among the local favourites are Brayden Spina and Cooper Morley followed by a host of talented local junior riders competing in honour of Will, a formidable emerging bull rider who died in a freak accident in 2021.
Andy, Will’s father, takes over the reins from long-serving president Don Oswin, with insurance broker Nat
Oswin, accountant Jess Gofton and realtor Mark Spina taking over as vice president, treasurer and secretary respectively.
He also thanked Ingham Show supremo Wayne Forden for his work running the bar as well as the host of volunteers.
“It’s been a good handover due to the fact the previous committee has been so well organised, it’s a welloiled machine,” Mr Murdoch said.
If you’ve got the right fellas in the right jobs it makes life easy.”
The rodeo features a full day of events from 10.30am through to a good crop of professional bull riders (PBR) late in the evening with the bar running till midnight.
A popular recent edition has been the inclusion of the Charity Bull Ride, which this year features Hinchinbrook Nick Dametto, radio presenter Archie Arenson and local legends Jonty Collins-furber and Alana Romano.
The riders are donating to respective charities, Audrey’s Angels of Hope, The Black Dog Institute, Angel Flight and QCWA Long Pocket.
With just days to the event, the riders have reached $3000 of their $4000 goal.
“The Charity Bull ride is the perfect example of how important helping others is to our community and turning it into a competition makes it that extra bit fun,” organiser Monique Giliberto said.
Mr Dametto thanked the community for its generosity and support.
“Hinchinbrook has always been a very giving and tightknit community and fundraising events like this are not possible without the community backing it.”