00:02Kicking up red dirt to the cheers of the crowd, Mount Isa rolled out the red carpet for hundreds
00:06of riders who spent months on the road.
00:08The stock's great, the people are great and make it a good time.
00:13The 19 year old Youth World Champion says the rodeo's renewed focus on home grown talent
00:17is a welcome change.
00:19The rodeo has gotten a lot better since they stopped trying to get international people
00:24and focus more on the actual Australians that are riding here.
00:28800 riders competed across seven weekend events all vying for a chance to win the coveted
00:33Mount Isa belt buckle.
00:35It's the biggest show in Australia and it's up for the money and if you win you just show
00:41you're one of the best.
00:43It's also about keeping traditions alive.
00:46My family have been doing it for years.
00:49My older brother has been doing it, my other brother, my dad.
00:53After going bust in 2024, the Mount Isa rodeo returned to community hands last year.
00:59Now with record crowds through the gate and more riders than ever before, the future looks
01:03bright for Australia's largest rodeo.
01:05The event has drawn thousands of visitors, booking out nearly all the outback town's accommodation.
01:10I went to the street festival the other day and it was just so many people, I didn't realise
01:15how many people could be in Mount Isa.
01:17If you've never been to a rodeo before, it's mind blowing, the skill of the riders.
01:24They can't do what they're trying to do and it affects each other.
01:24The key is no choice when they meet you or a walk.
01:26You
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