Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Wānaka Rodeo cancelled

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Another popular Otago summer event has been cancelled.

The Wanaka Rodeo announced on its Facebook page that owing to the uncertainty around Covid-19 and new regulations, the club had made the "very hard" decision to cancel the rodeo on January 2.

It joins a growing list of summer events, including the Queenstown and Wānaka New Year's Eve celebrations, that have been cancelled.

Rodeo NZ president Lyal Cocks, of Wānaka, told the Otago Daily Times earlier this week clubs nationwide had had to make "hard decisions" this season.

"Unfortunately, it's not as simple as go or don't go.

"Some costs, such as bringing in specialist rodeo bulls, are shared between several events within a district. So if you only have one of those events left running this year, that needs to be factored into the books."

He said he expected most clubs to have made a final decision by Monday.

"We'll [Rodeo NZ] decide on Saturday whether to run a points or non-points season, and that may influence those decisions.

"It's definitely not an ideal situation. But we're not living in normal times."