Bartlett Park Rodeo back with NQ riders Ryan Livingstone and Cody Quilliam excited to get into the arena
When the chute opens Townsville champion bareback rider Ryan Livingstone concentrates on three things for the next eight seconds – hard feet, keeping his hand closed on the handle and not quitting. Nothing will change when he hits the arena at Bartlett Park.
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When the chute opens Townsville champion bareback rider Ryan Livingstone concentrates on three things for the next eight seconds – hard feet, keeping his hand closed on the handle and not quitting.
Its advice that has kept the twenty-eight-year-old at the top of his game for the past seven years and he will be using all his knowledge and skills again when the chute opens at Bartlett Park Rodeo next Saturday.
The rodeo competitor has tried his hand at every event but it is the bareback ride that he loves and where he finds the greatest challenge.
As opposed to the saddlebronc where the rider has a saddle for support, in the bareback all the rider has is a leather pad with a handle to hang onto for eight seconds.
“A lot of people that will say it’s probably the toughest part of rodeo and it’s definitely hard on the body compared to some others.
“I’ve rode bulls and stuff like that in the past and it (bareback) definitely takes it out of you if you are not ready at every rodeo.”
Although born and bred in Townsville rodeos always appealed to him and he hasn’t looked back since first competing at Bartlett Park Rodeo aged 14.
“There are different parts of rodeo, there’s rope then steer wrestling and there’s bull riding and once you’re in rodeo, and you can try all the different events to find your sort of your niche that you pick up along the way.”
Livingstone has found his niche in bareback and competes in the North Queensland rodeo circuit every year.
“Last year, I won the North Queensland Bareback Riding ABCA title up here in the north so I travel around and also do pro rodeo.”
Despite a few broken bones and other injuries Livingstone plans to defend his title and keep hanging on and not quit.
“A couple of ones (injuries) have laid me up for a while but I always get back up and go of again.
“You just keep going and it’s always another rodeo to go to.”
Now he passing on his hard won knowledge to the next generation.
Up and coming bareback rider Cody Quilliam just started competing in rodeos last year.
Raised in Pimlico the eighteen-year-old started following the Bartlett Park Rodeo Facebook page finding a link to a bull riding clinic and he has been hooked on rodeos ever since but is drawn to the bareback event aspiring to be a future champion one day himself.
“Definitely one day.”
The rodeo action starts this Saturday at Bartlett Park with gates open at 9am starting with junior events with the main performances from 6.30pm.
Event secretary Britt Cross said there are all the traditional rodeo events.
“We’ve got barrel racing, timed events, so that includes ladies breakaway team roping, rope and tie, steer wrestling, steer undecorating, and then we’ve got all of our rough stock events with the saddle bronc, bareback bulls and steers.”
With more than $20,000 in prize up for grabs she said the rodeo will feature some of region’s best rodeo competitors and book here.
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Originally published as Bartlett Park Rodeo back with NQ riders Ryan Livingstone and Cody Quilliam excited to get into the arena
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