Saturday night: 7 of us pack into a maxi-taxi to travel from Mildura to Merbein. It's roughly a 20 minute drive through scrub watching the sun go down. We arrive at Kenny Park in Merbein just in time for the end of the Merbein RODEO!
I'm not sure whether I should have a cruiser or a Melbourne Bitter.
According to wiki: Rodeo's in Australia became an organised sport in the 1880's. And another thing, women have always been competitors in the field. It's quite exciting when women can be equal to men in their stupidity. When we first arrived at Kenny Park there were quite a few women cantering around the field on horses but they didn't really do anything nearly as stupid as the men so they were quite boring really. There were also small children on little bucking ponies that elicited a few "oohs" and "ahhhs" from the crowd. But then we got into the real stuff...
The reason the horses are bucking around in frantic convulsions is because they have what is referred to as a "flank strap" tied around their lower stomach area, right near the genitals. This device is about 4 inches wide and if used repeatedly, it may rub the hair off the area and chafe the skin raw. The use of electric prods or shocking devices has been banned in some areas
Kenny Park is all lit up with blinding lights and a guy yelling into a loudspeaker. It smells like dirt and horse-shit, is dry and dusty and packed full of cowboys and cowgirls yeehah! I need a drink.
I'm not sure whether I should have a cruiser or a Melbourne Bitter.
There is no kebab stand here with a vegetarian falafel option (insert sad face here), but there are 3 chip vans to choose from. I end up having 3 greasy donuts and a cup of greasy chips for dinner. I wash it all down with my Bundy and Cola.
Did you know that Rodeo has quite a long history in Australia? I didn't. I felt a bit like I'd walked into the wild west or the deep south. But here is proof: this is Allan Wood back in 1950 tormenting a beautiful horse:
According to wiki: Rodeo's in Australia became an organised sport in the 1880's. And another thing, women have always been competitors in the field. It's quite exciting when women can be equal to men in their stupidity. When we first arrived at Kenny Park there were quite a few women cantering around the field on horses but they didn't really do anything nearly as stupid as the men so they were quite boring really. There were also small children on little bucking ponies that elicited a few "oohs" and "ahhhs" from the crowd. But then we got into the real stuff...The reason the horses are bucking around in frantic convulsions is because they have what is referred to as a "flank strap" tied around their lower stomach area, right near the genitals. This device is about 4 inches wide and if used repeatedly, it may rub the hair off the area and chafe the skin raw. The use of electric prods or shocking devices has been banned in some areas
as have "wire tie-downs", "sharpened or fixed spurs" or "rowels". I don't know what any of that means but it sounds slightly uncomfortable. But I have no intention of getting bogged down in any pesky bleeding-heart type kill-joy hippie crap. I'm a cultural relativist - so tonight I'm here to drink, fight and fuck* FUCK YEAH**spits on ground**
As it turns out, they also like to torment bulls. Cattle rods and "hot shots" are lovingly used to ensure the bull exits the enclosure dramatically - although apparently the latter have been banned by major associations, phew.
After everyone is sufficiently exhausted from watching this bizarre spectacle unfurl over and over ad nauseum, the masses trek through the dusty grounds to the local pub en masse. It has been a truly entertaining night - Colosseum style - in which I have learned that Broke-back Mountain jokes are not always appropriate in seemingly relevant context.
