By Mitchell Clarke
The fifth-annual Bunyip Rodeo recorded its highest ever crowd numbers, but it wasn’t without its trials and tribulations – as organisers came close to cancelling the spectacle on the morning of the event.
As a 3000-strong crowd flooded into the Bunyip Recreation Reserve on Saturday 22 February, few would be aware that at 9am that morning, organisers gathered to discuss cancelling the entire thing.
As Bunyip Rodeo president Alan Wright explained to the Gazette, the whole arena had been covered in mud.
“We were lucky enough to get a few blokes from the CFA and football club to come together and bring in bobcats and two 13-tonne excavators to remove the mud,” Mr Wright said.
“It was a bit of a spectacle for those that got to the grounds a little earlier.”
The event, scheduled to start at 2pm, was running just 15 minutes behind, as fast-working volunteers saved the day and removed about 20 tonne of mud from the area.
Struggles aside, Mr Wright said the event was a huge success.
“We got nothing but great results on our Facebook page – you soon know through social media if your event is a success or not,” he laughed.
“Everybody seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves… it went very, very well.”
The event attracts a lot of people into Bunyip, a welcome boost for shop owners and residents alike.
“We just want to thank the local community for their support,” Mr Wright added.
“We were absolutely rapt with attendance numbers and hope to go even bigger and better next year.”
