Cowboys saddle up for a successful Tumbarumba Rodeo on New Year's Day

With more than 4000 spectators trudging through the showground gates on New Year's Day, organisers described this year's edition of the long-running event as a huge success.

Four different stock contractors brought their animals to the competition, which helped attract some of the nation's top riders.

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"We usually only have one stock contractor but we had four this year so every rider had a chance of winning money and that's why we had so many top class riders there," Tumbarumba Rodeo president Rodney Bartell said.

Among those taking part was Mitchell rider Greg Hamilton, who won the Australian Saddle Bronc Champion title in 2022.

Mr Bartell said seeing the national champion taking part was made even more exciting when he was given a local horse to ride.

"He drew one of Tumbarumba's top horses Hilltop Hustler and Greg said it was pretty hard to ride him - and he's the Australian champion at the moment," he said.

Spectators first started making their way into the rodeo as early as 8am and many didn't leave until the live music wrapped up at 10.30pm.

Mr Bartell said the event reminded him of when rodeos were in their hay day in NSW during the 1970s, when crowds regularly stuck around from sunrise to well past sunset.

"The future for rodeo is looking very well in Tumbarumba," he said.

For the first time in years, one of the thrill seekers taking part in the bull ride competition managed to stay on for the entire eight seconds required to score points

"One bloke made time out of the 25 who took part but that's something we haven't had for about seven or eight years, so that was very successful as well," Mr Bartell said.

The rodeo took place just one day after a 25-year-old rider from NSW died after being thrown from a bull at an event in Warwick, Queensland.

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