Around 12pm at the rodeo just outside of Mataura, as families with camping chairs and gazebos were starting to trickle in, Rodeo Club secretary Alyce Perkins spoke to The Ensign.
She said she was most looking forward to when the grassy bank overlooking the ring was full of local people.
"It just becomes electric," she said.
She got her wish, and days after the event she said the club was really happy with how the day went, with their biggest turn-out since their 50th anniversary in 2019.
A rider and quarter horse breeder herself, Mrs Perkins was also anticipating the breakaway roping and barrel racing events.
"The South Island has some of the best in the country," she said.
Not far behind, however, was Oamaru’s Rhondine Long with a time of 15.952sec and Charlotte Montgomery finished third with 16.010sec.
"When you look at the times, there’s literally nothing between them — you can’t even click your fingers fast enough to see the difference."
Always exciting was the steer wrestling, bareback and bull riding sections, although no official placings were recorded for the latter.
Children were running around, playing on the bouncy castle and engaging in the rodeo club’s competitions.
The competition broke for the "Cowboy’s Prayer" and for Gore singer Cheryl Anderson to sing the national anthem in both Te Reo and English.
Mrs Perkins had feedback that the "crazy fast" barrel racing was "exciting" and people appreciated — and stayed for — the speed shears that followed in the evening.
