Rustle on up for rodeo

Members of the Church family plan to attend the Rerewhakaaitu Rodeofundraiser tomorrow. Rodeo champion Rex Church is pictured. Photo / File

Slip into your leather boots, throw on your cowboy hat and get ready for a country extravaganza.

The Rerewhakaaitu Rodeo is turning 50 and locals are invited to join celebrations at a fundraiser at Rotorua's City Focus tomorrow.

Featuring a live country band, line dancing, raffles and dozens of prizes and giveaways, the event had plenty for local families to enjoy, organiser Joan Matehe said.

"It's a fun, family friendly event to celebrate the 50 years since the rodeo began," she said.

"There will be people there who were involved in the club right from the start, which is great. Fifty years, that's quite a milestone and I think deserves to be celebrated."

Ms Matehe said there were between 20-30 members of the Rerewhakaaitu Rodeo Club and she hoped the day would inspire more people, especially the younger generation, to be involved: "It's for anyone who's country-minded. There's a lot more to it than rodeo, we go on horse treks, you learn about different horse breeds, how to groom your horses and there's just a great sense of companionship."

The funds raised from raffles at the event will go to the club. Ms Matehe hoped to see event-goers dressed up in their best country outfits for the fundraiser, because there were prizes for the best-dressed country girl and best-dressed country boy.

"We'd love to see everyone get into the spirit of it."

As for the future of the club and rodeo event, she said it was bound to exist for another 50 years, if not longer.

She said the club wouldn't be around today if the dedicated people involved hadn't kept it alive.

The fundraiser will run from 10.30am.

Details

What: Rerewhakaaitu Rodeo fundraiser.
Where: City Focus, Rotorua.
When: Tomorrow, from 10.30am to about 4pm.
Cost: Free