Hope Vale’s Tyson “TJ” Ford has been bull riding since he was two-and-a-half years old. Photo: Ant Ritz Photography.
A family of Hope Vale bull riders have made it to the North Queensland finals after stellar results at the Great Northern Bull Riding Series in Mareeba earlier this month.
Ten-year-old Tyson “TJ” Ford and uncle Patrick Hart placed first in their respective categories, earning them a spot at the finals to be held in Mount Garnet this weekend (26 October), alongside TJ’s two older brothers.
Proud mum and sister-in-law Ashleigh Oberluter said their family had been travelling across the region competing at rodeos for many years.
“The boys have been down to Chillagoe, Innisfail, Yeppoon, Rockhampton; Patrick has been as far down as, I think, Charters Towers,” she said.
“We travel right across Far North Queensland, so it’s really good that they’re picking up not just first place, but placing at those rodeos that we travel to, because it is a bit further than what everyone else travels, and it makes it all worth it in the end.”
Ms Oberluter was the last secretary of the Hope Vale Rodeo Committee before the local competition was cancelled in 2022 due to venue issues.
She hoped the recent strong results of the Hope Vale cowboys would maintain the community’s interest in the sport, which she believed was declining.
“There’s pretty limited interest in learning, because it is a great sport once you pick it up, but it’s taken a lot,” she said.
“TJ’s really shined this year, but we’ve been travelling for the last two to three years for him to get to this level that he’s being recognised in the bull riding circuit.
“Everybody has really been getting behind them because riding is not as big as what it used to be in Hope Vale, so I think a lot of people like to see there are still some young people carrying on what their Elders have laid that foundation for.”
Despite being used to the never-ending travel that competitive bull riding demands, Ms Oberluter said it would be a dream for a rodeo event to return to the community.
“I think it would definitely be a highlight for them, because it’s always good to be on home soil,” she said.
Seasoned rider Patrick Hart (right) will move onto the North Queensland finals after a big win in Mareeba. Photo: Ant Ritz Photography.
