Cowboys are a hard breed - Daniel McCready proved it at the Mid Northern Rodeo at Maungatapere at the weekend.
He broke his nose in a tumble in the second-division saddle bronc ride on Saturday.
Mid Northern Rodeo Association secretary Dianna Bradshaw said the young Northland rider's nose looked gory with cartilageexposed and he had been compelled to go to Whangarei Hospital for treatment. But he had returned to the rodeo with his hooter taped yesterday, when he won the second division saddle bronc event and collected a purse of $292.60.
Another cowboy, Clayton Potts, dislocated an arm in a roping event on Saturday.
But Ms Bradshaw was unconcerned by these injuries. As she said, "cowboys are tough", and she was mainly relieved no animals had been hurt in the two days of rugged action with bucking horses, big mean bulls and contests testing stockman skills.
Chris McGarry, of Umawera, for the first time provided bulls for the Mid Northern rodeo and Ms Bradshaw said they "did an excellent job, providing great sport". Some 1500 spectators had gone through the rodeo gate on Saturday, with a couple of hundred more yesterday.
The Saturday crowd had endured fierce sunshine, but the overcast conditions yesterday had been far easier on spectators and competitors.
The Church family from the Bay of Plenty - Aaron snr, Aaron jnr, Leeroy, Rex, Dean, Daryl, Hayden, Sam, Melanie, Mervyn jnr, Cheyeenne (Taupo), Cheyanne (Rotorua) Paige, Robery, Dianna, DJ, Paddy - dominated the results and collected much of the prize money.
Ramoan Neho, of Kaitaia, was one of the leading Northland stars. See page 12 for more pictures.
