Cootamundra's first gymkhana of 2018 to showcase riders’ skills

At 10am, the first of six gymkhanas hosted by the Cootamundra Rodeo Association begins.

Association president Francis Ross said the focus would be on a rider’s skills and their ability to control the horse during the events.

Saturday’s gymkhana is the first event the association will hold since they replaced the arena fence.

“It’s all about preparing for a rodeo on October 6,” Mr Ross said.

“The old fence was getting dangerous, if a bull hit it hard, it wouldn’t have been good.”

Mr Ross said the association had replaced the arena fence with their own funds as well as generous support from businesses in Cootamundra.

The association’s October rodeo won’t be a full schedule as Mr Ross said there was a lot more work to be done to the rodeo ground before the full event lineup can be hosted.

Meanwhile on Saturday they’ll be flag and bending, rope race, barrels and the benbareft.

Mr Ross said the benbareft would include riders racing around a barrel, grabbing a peg from one riding to another barrel.

Riders deposit the peg and then pick up another and drop it in another barrel.

“You need to trust in the horse,” Mr Ross said.

While trust and skill see riders through to victory, Mr Ross said the event catered for riders who young enough to still be led.

There’s also categories for riders under nine-years-old, under 13, under 17, novice and then an open category.

“There’s no booking needed,” Mr Ross said.

“It’s all just about turning up on the day, we could get between 20 and 40 riders. Spectators are free, they can come during the day and pull up a seat.”

Mr Ross said riders were expected to come from Binalong, Young, Harden, The Rock, Junee, Gundagai, Temora as well as Cootamundra. Points will be awarded at each of the six gymkhanas held in Cootamundra, before the winners are decided and presented with a trophy belt buckle in September.

"Some of the young riders, it’s the biggest thing on them,” Mr Ross joked.

As well as the association’s six gymkhanas and October rodeo, Cootamundra will host the National Barrel Horse Association seven times during the year – with the first event set for May 12.

Cootamundra Rodeo: October 6