Rodeo’s leading Light

THE Lang Lang Rodeo is hailed as Australia’s longest continuous rodeo and president Alan Light has not missed a single event since its inception in 1944.
The Drouin South resident vividly remembers going along with his family to the rodeo as a child in the event’s early years.
He remembers when the event used to attract up to 20,000 people and a special train service would run from Melbourne to Lang Lang just for the rodeo.
“As kids, mum and dad used to get a place on the fence early and would say to us ‘don’t move’,” he said.
“That’s how busy it was.”
The thrills, spills and action-packed entertainment has kept him coming back year after year and has seen him propelled to the forefront of the event – he is now president of the organising committee.
You won’t find a better advocate for the sport than Alan himself.
He holds a high opinion of rodeo and said he had a strong argument for those who believed it was cruel.
“If you hit a cow, they hit your pocket,” Alan said.
“These horses are bred, broken in and trained to buck.
“If you hurt or damage an animal it’s not going to perform. It doesn’t injure them … if they were injured they wouldn’t be able to buck.
“We’ve got guidelines for how we handle stock and riders treat the animals with respect; that’s their livelihood.”
He said he hoped rodeos would be planted in communities in the future but with strong oppositions from organisations including the RSPCA, he wasn’t so sure.
“A lot of people who are against it have never had a hand on an animal or a horse,” he said.
He says rodeos are great events for communities and are a great opportunity for a day out with a lively atmosphere and the chance to meet lots of good people.
“It’s bringing a bit of outback Australia to the city people,” he said.
Alan has always lived in the local area and has been involved in a number of community groups and organisations.
He was born at the Kooweerup Hospital in 1934 to George and Minnie.
He grew up on the family dairy farm in Yallock along with his two siblings Nancy and Geoff.
At the age of 14 he left school and worked for a number of local businesses for about eight years doing tasks including carting hay and picking potatoes.
When his father fell ill he started working on the family farm.
During that time he met his future wife Beth Purvis at a local dance. The couple eventually built their own home on the Yallock property where they raised their two children, Janette and Darryl.
When his father passed away in 1981 Alan took over managing the dairy farm.
Alan said he loved growing up on a farm as it never failed to keep him busy.
It was during his childhood that his love of horses began and eventually led him to join the Lang Lang Show committee.
He said he spent many weekends competing at local agricultural shows including Pakenham, Neerim, Lang Lang, Korumburra, Leongatha, Warragul and Berwick.
“I had just finished competing one day and two friends convinced me to join them at the Lang Lang Show committee meeting,” he said.
“After competing for so many years I wanted to give something back.”
He has been on the committee ever since that meeting in 1966, during which time he has served as president for a total of 11 years. The rodeo’s organising committee is a division of the show committee, of which he is also president.
“I couldn’t wish for a better committee … they’re all loyal and dedicated,” he said.
Alan is a well-known identity among many other groups and organisations.
Like his father, he has always been involved in the community.
It all started when he joined the Yallock Primary School committee and became president in the 1960s while his children attended there.
A keen football enthusiast, he played for Catani for more than 30 years, as well as coaching a junior team.
“When I decided to give up playing footy, the hierarchy at Cora-Lynn Football Club came around to my home one night to see if I would coach their under-16s team,” he said.
“I think they were there until about midnight trying to convince me. I ended up coaching them for six years.”
“It’s a great thing now to see them all grown men and having a chat to them when I see them around.”
Alan has also been involved with the Bayles CFA where he received a 30-year service award.
Since he took over the dairy farm Alan has been a strong voice in the industry.
He was part of the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF), Lang Lang branch, where he spent four years as district council president and a central councillor.
He also served as the central councillor for eight years with the United Dairyfarmers of Victoria (UDV).
“This was very rewarding,” he said.
“My job was to help farmers to solve their problems … I knew who and where to go to for help.”
He has been recognised for his service and contribution with a Certificate of Meritorious Service to the UDV in 2004 and an achievement award from the Pakenham branch of the VFF.
In 1990 he also received a Rural Water Commission of Victoria Certificate of Service for his work on the Kooweerup flood protection advisory committee.
In 2001, after 65 years at the Yallock property, Alan and his family moved to Drouin South where he set up another dairy farm.
Alan ’s children have followed in his footsteps. His son now manages the 230-acre Drouin South farm and his daughter runs another dairy farm of a similar size in Drouin West.
Alan said he had never had a problem juggling the farm and his community involvement, with most meetings held at night.
“You make sure you don’t lose sight of what your living is,” he said.
“The support also from Beth and the kids has been tremendous.”