Broncs, bulls, bucks and bruises

DAVID HALLET/The Press

HOLDING ON: A bull rider looks to be having an uncomfortable ride at the Methven rodeo.

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About 8000 spectators enjoyed the ups and downs of cantankerous bulls and bucking broncos at the Methven Rodeo yesterday.

The large crowd, well up on last year, was entertained on a warm Labour Weekend Sunday with everything from children's calf rides to snorting one-tonne bulls trying to unseat their riders.

North Island rider Rod Walker, from Te Kuiti, won the open bull ride from visiting Hawaiian Jason Lau with Hawarden's Andrew Jamison third.

In the open bareback bronc event, Rodney Ruxton from Outram won, ahead of Gisborne's Kevin Taylor and Joe Fentiman, from Waitati, tied for second.

The Dougal Mackintosh Memorial Award for rookie of the day went to Hawarden's Adam Jamison.

A total of 220 competitors from around the country, Australia and Hawaii took part in one of the South Island's biggest rodeos.

Among the spectators was champion Australian bullfighter Matt Darmody. Darmody, 24, has been in New Zealand before but it was his first visit to Methven. He will strut his stuff at New Zealand's first indoor rodeo at Christchurch's Westpac Arena on November 17.

- © Fairfax NZ News