Locals go along for the ride

Gisborne's Roany Lane Waru in the Transtasman High School Challenge steer ride. Photo / Tania Whyte

Bonecrusher, Warsaw and Dislocator were among the 40 broncs who put on a bucking good show at this year's Mid Northern Rodeo.

The performance of the broncs - owned by the Mid Northern Rodeo Association - was one of the main highlights of the weekend's event, the association's secretary Dianna Bradshaw said.

"Our bare-back riding, the horses, went so well. Watching our horses is just so awesome."

Another highlight for Ms Bradshaw was the New Zealand team beating the Australian team overall in the Transtasman High School Challenge on Saturday, which featured one Northlander - Taipa's Tegan O'Callaghan.

Tegan's score for the barrel race was 18.173 - placing her ahead of the Kiwi riders but not the Australians in that category.

The New Zealand team's overall score was 235, while the Australian team's score was 155.

Other Saturday winners included Taumarunui's Ben Webb, who won the bareback bronc, Rotorua's Corey Church, who won the saddle bronc and who is the current national champion, and Rotorua's Ernie Rika, who won the bull rides.

The only injury was Jared Webb breaking his leg in the open bull ride.

No Northlanders placed on Saturday but Ms Bradshaw had high hopes for Taipa brothers Bradley and Klay Lanigan at edition time yesterday.

Around 1300 spectators gathered each day for the event at the rodeo grounds in Maungatapere, which included over 300 contests in categories such as steer wrestling, bronc rides, and barrel racing, to name a few.

Temperatures over the weekend sat around the 26C mark. "We've been very lucky. It's been too hot in fact. I've had to go around and remind people to put sunblock on."