General News
30 April, 2025
Riders, ropes, and a roaring crowd
Great Western’s annual rodeo made a triumphant return this Good Friday, drawing thousands to the arena for a thrilling day of high-stakes action and community spirit.
Great Western’s annual rodeo made a triumphant return this Good Friday, drawing thousands to the arena for a thrilling day of high-stakes action and community spirit.
Event organiser Shannon Notting reflected on the day with pride, noting both strong attendance and impressive competitor interest.
“It went really well. We were slightly down on numbers in the crowd, not by much, but our competitor numbers were up.”
More than 4,500 attendees rolled into Great Western to catch the action ringside, with 225 competitors entering the arena to test their skills.
“It shows that they want to come and compete at our event, so that is good,” Shannon said.
While organisers have already flagged a few areas for improvement next year, the overall atmosphere was one of celebration and success.
“We’ve got some things to improve, but that’s okay, we’ll do that next year and go from there.”
“Everyone had a great time and it was reflected in the record numbers of campers who stayed at the rodeo,” Shannon said.
The rodeo is more than just a thrilling day of bull riding and barrel racing, it’s also a key fundraiser for the Great Western Football Club, with several other local community groups also benefiting from the event’s success.
“It’s not just us, but it’s our major fundraiser for the year.”
“We were over the moon, no crowd issues, all our volunteers did a great job” he said.
As the dust settles on another iconic Good Friday, it’s clear the Great Western Rodeo remains a standout on the Easter calendar.