Bull riders prepare for a new North Queensland rodeo
THE atmosphere of any rodeo is a buzz for spectators, but for riders it’s electric.
Riders and spectators will be descending on Midge Point for the grand opening of the Dittmann Bull Pit and a good oldfashioned rodeo on Saturday.
Growing up as the son of Australian bull riding champion Gavin Woodall, rider Sam Woodall has been on bulls since he was just three years old. Since competing professionally at age 15, Woodall said he had broken his collarbone, torn his MCL, torn his groin, dislocated his wrist and broken a scaphoid in his hand.
“And I’ve been knocked out a heap,” Woodall said with a laugh.
But he still lives for the energy of the high-intensity sport.
“I always get a buzz whenever I walk in there,” Woodall said.
“I’m always high energy anyway, just bouncing around.”
Growing up in Victoria, the younger Woodall made the trip to Queensland to continue his career in the sport in the difficult Covid-19 climate.
“The quality of competition is way higher up here,” he said.
“There’s good prizemoney, which always makes it a bit better, and the opportunity to get on good-quality stock to test yourself on those better bulls.”
Woodall said he was living near Midge Point and training weekly at Dittmann Bucking Bull Pit.
“It’s the place to be,” he said. The Midge Point competition on Saturday will be the finale of three rodeos Woodall will compete in on the weekend.
Fellow PBR competitor Aaron Kleier is taking a different attitude into the Midge Point competition.
“I’m just doing the one this weekend,” Clermont’s Kleier said. “I try to focus on one a weekend so I’m not rushing around.
“I don’t get too hyped up, don’t think about it too much.
“I go there to ride my bull and stay focused.”
Like Woodall, Kleier said he loved the thrill of the sport.
“The biggest challenge is you have to stay on eight seconds or you don’t get paid,” he said.
The Dittmann Bull Bash will be opening its gates at 2pm.