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AUSTRALIAN PODDY RIDING
by
Callan Kendall
The
picture above is me poddy riding. Poddy Riding is an event for
competitors up to the age of 12 years. The general rules are
really the same as for bull riding except that the rider has to
stay on the poddy for six seconds instead of eight. The rider
is 'strapped down' onto the poddy by one hand with a bull rope.
The free hand must be kept raised at all times and mustn't touch
any part of the poddy or himself until the end of the ride. The
rider doesn't have to spur, but may pick up extra points if he
does so. It can be pretty difficult to spur when you're
concentrating really hard on just staying on board!
There are clowns (bullfighters) to help you if you need it
when your ride is finished. They are great guys and work
very hard to keep the riders as safe as possible.
. . .
There are strict controls over what protective gear you must
wear for poddy riding. You will need a protective vest and
helmet and will not be allowed to ride if you don't wear them!
You will also need a bull rope, pad and bell, bull riding spurs
and a glove plus chaps as an optional item. There's a few items
of gear in this picture so you can get an idea of the type of
things you need. . . .
I have quite a few
friends who do poddy or steer riding as well. Some of them are John, Jesse,
David and Sam. Sam and me want to travel around to rodeos
together in a huge gooseneck when we're older. A gooseneck is a
kind of combined horse float and caravan which gets hitched up
behind a truck. Sometimes we might meet Sam's sister, Jessica
at the rodeos. She's planning to be a vet so if any of our
horses get hurt, she'll fix them up. Right now, we have lots of
fun at the rodeos and usually all go to the same ones. They are
all good riders and we learn a lot from each other.
I live for the next rodeo and
think this is the reason I was born. There's nothing
like the thrill of being on the back of a bucking poddy or steer
and staying on to ride time. In case you didn't know, poddy
riders have to stay on for six seconds, while steer or bull
riders must stay on for a full eight seconds. I hope this
page has been useful for any young guys wanting to start out on poddies. I really had a great time with the poddies.
Nothing too serious. Even though me and my mates all tried our
best to do well, we still had a good fun time all round. I hope
you do, too. You can
read more about me and Australian poddy riding on my web site:
http://www.callenkendall.com
Callan Kendall
( Below is another photo of me poddy
riding. )
I'll Ne'er Forget That Day
Old Mate
by
Merv Webster
My heart was pumping hard that day I faced the maddening
crowd,
Despite the spinning in my head, I stood there mighty proud.
Though racked with
pain my reddened hand acknowledged them a wave
And to this day I've ne'er forgot the accolades they gave.
It was a dream come true you see to stand there in that
ring,
For rodeo was in my blood and one day I'd be king.
The beast I drew was mean and lean ... no Chainsaw I admit,
But still if I could just ride time I'd show them I had
grit.
I'd limbered up behind the chute preparing for the ride,
Well knowing what was just ahead, but took it in my stride.
The chute boss called, "You've drawn chute five, get down
and make it quick."
Then as I eyed the beast below ... I suddenly felt sick.
That brute it tried to climb the gate and bellowed cries of
fear,
While chute hands fought to organise the necessary gear.
I felt the violent quiver of the hide between my chaps,
The smell of sweat, the cry of men ... a change of mind
perhaps?
Too late I felt the rope pulled taut and shoved within my
glove,
I thought it's now or never mate and sent a prayer above.
Then as I pulled my Colly down I yelled out, "Let him go!"
The gate flew open ... it was on ... 'twas time to rodeo.
With whites of eyes all full of hate that beast did twist
and turn,
'Twas obvious my frame aboard was something he did spurn.
Eight seconds on this beast from hell seemed like eternity,
For ev'ry muscle which I owned screamed out in agony.
Between the jars and twists and turns I heard the crowd all
cheer,
Then at long last that blessed sound of hooter in my ear.
The pick up man then pulled me clear and was I proud ... not
half!
I'll ne'er forget that day old mate I rode that poddy calf.
© 2005, Merv Webster -The Goondiwindi Grey
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Below is a photo of
Callan Kendall, one of Australia's Poddy Riding champions.
Callan with
his ribbons.
...and more ribbbons.
Callan with his pony.
.
.
Callan's older brother Cody
Tapp, riding " High Tower"
in 1999
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About the poem,"I'll
Ne'er Forget That Day Old Mate",
it was inspired by my very first poddy calf ride at the Stanthorpe
rodeo in south-west Queensland at around twelve years of age. In
reality I never made it across the vehicle track in front of the
chute and got hung up and dragged around for a few minutes until I
realized I had to let go of my grip on the rope and let myself free.
I figured I’d take poetic license and make the story a little more
interesting.
I was born in the
Queensland border town of Goondiwindi and as my dad was a banker his
work took us to a number of towns throughout Queensland. I received my
education to Junior level and then tried my hand at various occupations
such as a lad porter on the railway, then as a clerk for the
Commonwealth Bank, an Accountant, and the Toowoomba
 City
Council. My wife was a Roma girl, Christine Edwards, whom I married in
Toowoomba and we would have four children. (The picture to the left is
Chris and Merv.)
After marrying I worked as a clerk, shop assistant, slaughterman and
an electrical line worker. These jobs took us to towns such as Toowomba,
Roma, Cairns, Gatton, Warialda and Goondiwindi. During my time in Roma
I took an interest in stock work and received an education on all
aspects of the life, some of which I'd rather forget, from a hardened
old drover, Chris's dad. In 1994 we moved to Bargara, where I began
writing a book on my family's history.
Impressed by the stories told to me, along with the experiences I
had with Chris’ dad, I began trying my hand at writing bush poetry. My
first book of bush poetry was called Tales of Uncle Jim, which was well
received. In 1996 I met Neil McArthur, a fellow poet, who encouraged me
to try performing my poetry at the Bundy Mob's Bush Poets Muster. This
was the beginning of my career as a performing bush poet.
I have been fortunate over the years to be able to perform and win
numerous awards for my performance bush poetry at such places as the
Mapleton Yarn Festival, Poets on the Downs, Jondaryan Country Music
Rush, The Winton Waltzing Matilda Bush Poetry Championships, The
Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame, The Bundy Mob’s Bush Poets Muster,
Central Queensland Bush Poetry Championships, The Surat Battered Bugle,
The Gympie Muster, Camooweal's Drovers Yesteryear Festival, Harvey Bay
Whale Festival, North Pines Camp Oven Festival, Glengallon Bush Poetry
Festival, Imperial Hotel Bush Poetry Competition, Tenterfield Oracles
of the Bush, Bard of the Outback and the Australian Bush Poetry
Championships at Yarrawonga-Mulwala.
Since 1996 I have won a number of awards for my written bush poetry,
which were included in the eight books of bush verse and yarns I have
published along with three albums and I have been a finalist on four
occasions at the Golden Gumleaf Bush Laureate Awards at Tamworth. Here
are two of my books: A Muster Of Australia, Keeping The Culture
and two of our CD's Pull Up a Stump and Listen! (Includes
the poem above), Blacklisted.
Since 1999 Chris, and on occasions my dad, have joined me in our own
show of bush poetry and yarns, which we called 'Laughter & Tears from
the Bush'. Since 1998 Chris has accompanied me to The Tamworth Country
Music Festival where we perform our show in front of Grace Bros. now
Target. From 2000 until 2003 Chris and I have been resident bush poets
at the Bailey Bar Caravan Park at Charleville during the winter months
where we performed our bush poetry and yarns show daily and we had the
opportunity to meet so many folk and introduced quite a few of them to
bush verse.
Today we continue to perform our shows at many venues throughout
Australia and help judge and organize various bush poetry festivals.
In 2005 I tried my hand at song writing and entered The Lyrics
Only section of the Katherine Country Music Muster's Song writing
Competition and was nominated as one of the five finalists and went on
to win it with my song "Chasing Buttons". Then in 2006 I entered the
Tamworth Song Writer' Awards at Tamworth and received three out of the
five nominations in the Lyrics Only section of their National Song
writing Contest and went on to win with "The Maintop Balladeer". Again
in2006 I was nominated as one of the five finalists in the Katherine
County Muster's Song writing Competition and went on to win with my song
"Grandad's Crusty Damper". Then again in 2006 I picked up three out of
the ten nominations in the Lyrics Only section of the Tamworth Song
Writer' South East Queensland Branches song writing awards.
I am also the
present Poet rep. for the Australian Bush Balladeers [ABBA] and the
editor of a quarterly newsletter for its Bulletin magazine as well as
the Bush Poet News Page on The Bush Balladeers web site. I also write a
column for the Country Roundup magazine.
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