A BELLS and whistles rodeo experience is being promised for the Border when it hosts its first Professional Bull Riders event.
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A 3500-seat pop-up arena will be erected at Gateway Lakes for the Wodonga Invitational, which is part of PBR Australia’s debut in regional Victoria which also includes Bendigo and Shepparton stops.
Food trucks and a country music show by Golden Guitar-nominated singer Casey Barnes will also be part of the event on Saturday April 7.
PBR Australia general manager Glen Young said the invitational was being staged in response to feedback that had shown there was strong demand for the bull riders.
“Our Wodonga event comes off the back of significant fan requests for a PBR event in the area – and not only are we delivering that, but we’re also giving Wodonga locals the opportunity to experience our brand new stadium,” Mr Young said.
The arena, made in China, takes 40 hours to set up and 20 hours to dismantle.
Mr Young said it would first cater to 3500 but was expected to reach 6500 by 2020.
He said PBR Australia was committed to returning to the Border on a regular basis and he believes the event will attract an audience beyond the usual rodeo attendees.
Cameras in the bull shutes, a big screen and expert commentary were designed to make the action involving 20 bull riders accessible, Mr Young said.
“It’s going to be an annual event and it will have a good economic impact on the region,” he said, citing a Townsville round which drew $1.2 million into the north Queensland city.
PBR began in the US in 1992 and expanded into Australia in 2005, with television coverage of American events fuelling interest.
Chiltern rodeo organiser Kelvin Duke believes that exposure and the riders’ talents will make the Wodonga Invitational a success.
“Because of the television coverage that the PBR has had and the overseas riders they’ve got competing in Australia I think it will be a pretty big hit,” Mr Duke said.
“We have a lot of people coming to the Chiltern rodeo because they’ve seen the PBR on television and they haven’t taken an interest before.”