RODEO events are a traditional part of Snowy Mountains’ summer, the key events being Jindabyne Rodeo on December 28th and the Tumbarumba Rodeo on January 1st. Both attracting large crowds.
Visitors to Jindabyne last summer may recall a spectacular dismount from Tumut bull rider Dylan Weir in the open bull category. The bull 'Sniper' took complete control and bucked the 68kg Weir well into air where he landed heavily.
While exciting for the crowd, being tossed in such a manner does not happen every day. We spoke to Dylan about that ride, asking does he get a laugh out of it now.
“Yeah I do now, but on the day I wasn’t laughing. Especially that photo you got, you look at that and think oh hell, hanging off there,” said Dylan.
Bull riding is now entrenched in Weir’s life, the Tumut rider giving an insight into his start in rodeo life.
“I started getting on steers when I was about 13, 14 and then started getting on bulls about 15. Then went straight into novi (novice) bulls and then started getting on the open bulls.”
Dylan explained the criteria to move from novice bull to open bull category was based on prizemoney. Once a certain prizemoney threshold is reached, you are then elevated into the open bull category.
“The open bulls have more of a pattern, and a lot more buck to them from the novice one, usually a lot bigger too.”
There are two main circuits in Australia for rodeo, the Australian Bushmen’s Campdraft and Rodeo Association (ABCRA) which includes Jindabyne, Man for Snowy River Rodeo (Dec 28) and the Australian Professional Rodeo Association (APRA) which includes the Tumbarumba Rodeo on January 1, and the Tumut Rodeo (April21).
The 24-year-old competes mainly on the APRA circuit, but travels to ABCRA rodeos within four hours of his Tumut base “to save sitting at home”. This affords him experience and an understanding of different bull’s technique.
Enquiring as to the research riders invest in the bulls, and does he keep a record, he said you do keep an eye on them. “Even though you're not getting on them, you just watch them and see what they do, just in case you're drawing it next week or the week after. The open bulls tend to have a lot of pattern and very few out there that usually mix it up.”
Bull riding is a tough business, and landing on your backside all part of the equation. But how tough is it?
“It is very tough on the body, more so your riding arm and your groins and hips. Yeah, all them little muscles that you don't use every day. The legs are very important. You got to keep them down, because if your upper body is all straight up and down, your legs will stay underneath you.”
When asked his thoughts of planning ahead and when he is sitting in the chute, he stated he sort of plans for the weekend. “I’ll plan up to Friday, and then once that Saturday comes, I'll just let everything out the window and just go and win pretty much. Do your job. Once you start letting it get to you, that's when you start putting a lot more pressure on yourself, and you don't ride as good.”
“Whatever's gonna happen. It's gonna happen, so don’t worry about it.”
There is good prizemoney on offer, but not many make a full time living just on rodeo unless you ride in the upper tier of the PBR, events with bigger prizemoney. You need to stay on the bull for the magical eight seconds. There is no money if the bull bucks you off early, and you still have travel and entry fee expenses.
He will chase his rookie year in the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) over the next 12 months. Having won the APRA title this past year, he has qualified for the Lexington Rodeo in Texas in January, which gives him an opportunity to qualify for the million-dollar American Rodeo in April.
As for his immediate summer rodeo schedule, that could well be dictated by partner Tyla, and when she may give birth. “Just playing that by ear, we got a baby due on the 23rd, so just play it all by ear and if we’re out of hospital.”
See below a sequence of images of Dylan Weir from the 2023 Jindabyne Rodeo.
The 2024 Jindabyne event is on Saturday December 28, and the Tumbarumba Rodeo New Years Day 2025.
