Texan cowboy Mark Northcott (39) could be mistaken as a muse for a country music song.
Musician Willie Nelson's song Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys talks of cowboys with ''Lonestar belt buckles and old faded Levis'' that ''ain't easy to love'' and ''harder to hold''.
Mr Northcott said he was in Otago to rope rodeo steers but the main New Zealand attraction was love.
The Fort Worth resident was visiting his fiancee - anaesthetic technician Charlie Daws, of Auckland - who he had met on a social media website.
''We got talking through Facebook and we had all the same interests.''
She asked for his phone number and the pair had talked every day since, he said.
He holidayed in New Zealand for the first time last year and Ms Daws had been to Texas twice.
''We just make it work one way or another - it's a lot of fun.''
When she could move to Texas, they would get married, he said.
Mr Northcott was at the Waikouaiti rodeo on Saturday and Lawrence rodeo yesterday for the team roping events.
In team roping, - a ''header'' mounted rider ropes the front of the steer and a ''heeler'' ropes its hind feet.
Mr Northcott - the header - started roping on the 13,000ha ranch where he grew up.
''I've had a rope in my hand for about 37 years.''
He was third for headers in the New Zealand Rodeo Cowboys Association standings and won at the Lawrence rodeo, although he failed to place at Waikouaiti.
He was enjoying being in ''absolutely gorgeous'' Otago among the ''friendly'' people, he said.
Waikouaiti Rodeo Club spokeswoman Henrietta Purvis said she was ''very pleased'' with the attendance at the club's 50th anniversary event.
The Tough Enough To Wear Pink fundraising campaign for the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation had generated $37,500 since it was started in Waikouaiti five years ago.
Another $10,257 was raised on Saturday, Mrs Purvis said.
