TRYING to put the young guns to shame, Riverina rodeo stalwart Terry Dowell will be out to cement a place in the national team-roping finals when he competes at the famous Gundagai rodeo tomorrow.
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Dowell, 49, has set his sights on gaining sufficient points – and prizemoney – from the last rodeo of year to guarantee he qualifies for the Australian team-roping finale at Tamworth in January.
“Everyone is ducking and diving at this time of the year,” Dowell said yesterday.
“They all want to get enough prizemoney to make the finals.
“That’s what it’s all about.”
Currently 10th on the team-roping table, Dowell has virtually secured a spot at the finals, but is still not about to take a chance of missing out.
“I should be safe, but you never know,” he said yesterday.
“One way or the other, I’d rather finish seventh than 10th.
“This is the last rodeo (for 2011), so this is the one that counts.”
Despite having a position in the finals within tantalising reach, Dowell admits the competition tomorrow will make points hard to get.
“The best are coming to Gundagai,” Dowell said.
“Norm Stagg is leading the team-roping comfortably and he’ll be there.
“Norm was originally from Queensland but lives in Tamworth now.
“Clay Bush from Yass will also be competing and he’s a top team-roper, too.”
A member of the waterworks staff at Gundagai Shire Council, Dowell is a long-time veteran of the rodeo circuit.
“I’m probably past it,” he laughed.
“Basically I’ve been at this for 30 years.”
At one time, Dowell put up his hand for bareback bronco riding and various other disciplines, but he is now content to stay with team-roping.
For Dowell, however, rodeo has become a family tradition, with daughters Sarah, 21, and Lisa, 19, following their father into the spectacular sport. “I didn’t push them,” he said. “I suppose they just fell into it ... literally or otherwise.” A university student, Sarah’s main event is the barrel race, while Lisa will compete in the breakaway roping.
Sarah is coming off a victory at a recent rodeo at Gresford in the Hunter Valley and will be a top contender.
Dowell says the ability of the rider is not the only factor for rodeo success.
“It’s probably 90 per cent the horse,” he said.
“Our family educates and trains our horses.
“You have to have the right horses.” Aside from the Coolac-based Dowells, Gundagai horsewoman Adele Edwards, Wanta-badgery bronco rider Cody Angland and Robert Bandy will give the rodeo even greater local flavour.
