scone.com.auYoung Bulls Grow in Strength
TOM Carrigan and his family have begun putting Scone on the map for young bucking bulls.
What started as an interest to breed up his own stock has developed into the Scone Bucking Bull Futurity which is attracting some of the biggest players in the rodeo world.
See gallery at end of story.
Eye to eye at the 2016 futurity bucking bull sale in Scone.
Last weekend was the second year they have held a sale and it drew 101 bull entries, 29 bull riders, a sale of 17 lots drawing buyers and sellers from throughout the eastern states and a bull sired by the famous USA Voodoo Child was sold by the Farley Brothers for $8,250 to Campbell Frame from Chinchilla.
“The sale was well beyond our expectations and it was really good and we’d like to double our numbers next year,” said Mr Carrigan.
“In Australia per year there could be 10 maximum sales like this, just in New South Wales there are only about four,” he said.
“These bulls are like pets, like the racehorse industry equivalent of rodeo, these bulls are being stabled, fed and they are athletes in their own right,” he said.
Last month the American Bucking Bull Incorporated (ABBI) announced an expansion into Australia and is partnering with Professional Bull Riders Australia to develop genetics in bucking bulls, which Tom said opens new opportunities in Australia.
“The PBR (professional bull riders) in America is a massive multi-billion dollar enterprise and I have no doubt we are going to be like that in years to come and this is just the start,” said Mr Carrigan.
“In America there are blood lines from big name bulls like Bushwacker, Voodoo Child; Bushwacker is one of the highest paid athletes in America,” he said.
“We’d love to see our event then backed up by a PBR bull ride that night as things grow.
“We are only just in the early days and hopefully we’ll back it up with the really big shows soon.
“I hope the people from town who came enjoyed it and we’d encourage more people to come down next year and have a look.
“To see a guy from Queensland who is a major player in the industry come down and then call afterwards to say they had a ball, because Queensland are leading the way, so for us that’s a great endorsement,” he said.
“What we are doing gives people the opportunity to give their stock a go in public to promote the breeding, if we can get the young bulls going and get them going good we have a sale like that where the likes of Campbell Frame are buying high quality bulls, that’s what we want to keep doing,” Tom Carrigan said.
Results:
- The $2,650 futurity event was won by Scott Maynes from Tamworth. The bull was called “-23”;
- The $2,050 derby event was also won by Scott Maynes with a bull called 2X;
- In the classic event locals dominated:
- Nick Birch from Scone won $2,150 with a bull called Kickin’ Pig.
- Mitch Russell from Maitland won with a bull number 264.
- Al Hollis and Johnathan Randle from Scone with a bull called Outlaw.
“Corey Waterson came first in the bull riding and the funny thing is Nick Birch came third; Birchy is also an old retired bull rider and decided to have a ride and ended up coming third in bull riding,” laughed Tom.
“There was also a local syndicate of Phil Eveleigh and Murray and Shaun Bladen who purchased a bull which is now out on my property and they all hope it will be a future winner,” he said.
Tom Carrigan wanted to thank:
- Stuart Sheldrake from MacCallum Inglis for donating his time to auction the livestock.
- All the boys on the Committee for all their hard work that went into running the day and the two judges who travelled down, Adam Bates from Quirindi and Matt Adams from Mendooran. Jade Smith for announcing, all the volunteers who helped out in the canteen and BBQ, Jamie Munn, Sean Seckhold and Greg Massingham.
- Glencore, Sycolar fabrication, White rock farming, Ausure, Ruffie, MacCaullm Inglis, Inverary Pastural, Royal Hotel, Cadigal, Upper Hunter Concreting (Rooster), Sherman fencing, Noble building and Luck premium cuts meats.
The brother of Tom, Will Carrigan passed away at Christmas and this year profits from the event went to the “Where There’s a Will” charity.
