Two wins in a row for steer-rider Regan-Starr

HOLDING ON: Regan-Starr Ruru holds on to the rope and keeps his other hand clear of the steer as he competes in the Gisborne rodeo.Picture by Denise Flay

RODEO

REGAN-STARR Ruru has been holding on for dear life since he was four years old.

The nine-year-old is a junior steer-rider, which is the children’s version of bull-riding at the rodeo.

His love for the sport started the moment he saw videos of it, and one day he wants to ride bulls.

Steer-riding is similar to bull-riding, he says.

“You hold on for six seconds . . . if you touch the calf you’re disqualified.”

Ruru recently won the junior steer-riding events at the Waikato and Kakahi rodeos on back-to-back days.

He held on to the bucking steer for the full six seconds to clinch the title in both events.

He doesn’t really practise for the events and this was the first time he’d won. Previously he’d finished as high as second.

“I ride horses too, but I don’t do the horse-riding in the rodeo.

“We just play around, me and my friends. They do bull-riding too.”