"I couldn't believe how positive people were about the day - dozens of people told me we have to keep doing it next year and commented on what a great job everyone's done on the arena - it was just amazing feedback."

Attendance was just on 700, nearly twice the attendance at the first trial run in April, with echoes of the old days with quite a few people sitting on the hill.

The day started at 10am and finished just after five, with an hour's interval between noon and one.

Five food vans including Can Assist, an Asian van, a coffee van, a beef jerky van and a cowboy clothing van all did a roaring trade, with Can Assist raising $475.

For the future, Mr Luck is confident the event, now it's back on its feet, will "only get bigger".

At this stage, he's sure there'll be another rodeo in 2020, but can't say what the date will be because that's determined by the Australian Bushmen's Campdraft and Rodeo Association (ABCRA).

"We let ABCRA know our preferences, and they allocate us a date - we're expecting it might be October again but you never can tell.

"If it's October, that will give us 12 months to put in the lights which Cootamundra-Gundagai Council has agreed to give us when they are taken down from the rugby league oval at Fisher Park.

"We're grateful to Council for passing on the lights and also for their grant of $2,500 for this event, which helped a lot with last minute preparations, and for work they've done around the venue."

The work program next year will include some time event yards, needed if the event is to grow, catering for competitors in new events.

The open saddle bronc event was won by Cody Angland, brother of jockey Tye Angland who was seriously injured in Hong Kong.

There was no open bareback event, there being only one entrant. The open barrels was won by Michelle Bush and open bull ride by Greg Dowling of Wagga.

The novice bull event was won by Tom Salmon, novice saddle bronc by Angus McTavish and novice barrels by Kerry Holder, a rodeo champion and daughter of rodeo legend Bob Holder, who was present at the Cootamundra event but didn't participate although he is still active in roping. There was no novice bull ride.

In the junior events the 8-11 steer ride was won by Bailey Searle, 11-14 by Toby Dudney and Jake Swan, 14-18 by Brace Nock.

Under 11s barrels was won by Levy Ward, 11-14 barrels Montana Jackson, and 14-18 Jordana Hutchinson.