Bronco Branding

  • Australian Bronco Branding Championships 2011 


     
     

    (First published in Australian Horseman magazine Sep-Oct 2011).



    Story and photos by James Vereker
    Australian Bronco Branding Championships 2011
    Sport of the Outback
    Mustering mobs on remote cattle stations can take most of the year. Before the advent of choppers, two-wheelers and quad-bikes, stockmen would use pack horses and camp out for months on end. Their daily ‘grind’ was mustering and branding cleanskins - from sunup to sunset – only returning to the home station to break horses or drive ‘fats’ to a railhead.
    Origins
    “Bronco Branding” grew out of the necessity to handle stock in wide open spaces. Mustering without yards required stockmen to hold the mob of cattle in a camp on a clearing, while a head stockman would ride in and rope a ‘cleanskin’ calf and drag it up to a tree or post n’ rail fence panel. Then stockmen would apply leg ropes and take it to the ground for earmarking and branding, or cutting, if a bull calf.
    Bronco Branding is still performed on some remote stations today but with holding yards for the mob and has evolved to be – ‘the Sport of the Outback’. The first championships were held at Winton, Queensland in 1995 and over the ensuing years have included Longreach, Stonehenge, Windorah, Camooweal and Birdsville, Qld and Oodnadatta, William Creek, Marla and now, Marree, South Australia.
    Gateway to the Outback and Lake Eyre
    Marree is the gateway to the wonders of Lake Eyre in flood. This past year has been tourist ‘high season’ for scenic flights and currently, the north lake, extends for some 175 kilometres.
    Initially the settlement was formed to service the “Overland Telegraph Line” in the 1870s. The disused railway siding and “Old Ghan” carriages are reminders of Marree’s historic role on the route to the Northern Territory before the line was diverted 200 kilometres to the west in 1980. Marree was also an important base for Afghan cameleers, who serviced remote stations from the railhead.
    Australian Bronco Branding Championships
    The annual “Marree Picnic Races and Gymkhana” is held on the Queen’s Birthday Weekend in June but with the addition of Bronco Branding this year.
    Sunday morning saw teams uncoiling greenhide ropes at the Marree yards in readiness for the “Australian Bronco Branding Championships”. A contingent of Queenslanders from Longreach appeared keen to defend their 2010 “Open Singles” title. Judges explained the rules, while a crowd of several hundred gathered on a cold winter’s day with a ‘lazy breeze’ blowing.
    Put simply, teams of four combine to catch, rope, brand and release a calf in the shortest possible time. Practically, ‘a catcher’ rides the ‘bronco’ – usually a Clydesdale or heavy horse cross - fitted with a harness collar secured to a stock saddle. On the left side, below the fender, several ring loops link the girth to a throwing rope coiled by the catcher. When a beast is head-roped, the bronco takes up the slack and pulls it towards the ‘bronco panels’ for branding.
    Whilst the bronco takes the strain, the ‘front leg’ stockman snares a hoof and ties the leg rope to the bottom rail and the ‘back leg’ stockman does the same to the left side post. With legs secured, handlers combine to pull the calf down on its side away from the panel and release the head rope. The ‘brander’ scurries for the paint pot and dibs the rump ‘brand’ and daubs the head– rather than using hot irons burning rawhide!
    When the ropes are untied, the beast leaps to its feet to flee – the whole operation can be performed in less than three minutes. Meanwhile, the catcher is already on the way to rope another calf.
    Action Sport
    The action is ‘doubled’ when two good catchers are operating - pulling a calf to the panels - with another waiting in line. The sheer physical endeavour of the ground crew impresses: their workload involves taming bucking calves flailing at the end of the rope and retrieving beasts that overshoot the panels - straining with rope burns in a tug-o-war!
    The sport has plenty of challenges and is not for the faint-hearted as leg ropers grapple in the dust to secure thrashing legs, or are toppled backwards by rearing beasts. Bronco Branding is a leveller too for men and women as both compete on an equal level and rotate their roles as catchers and leg ropers. Strength, agility, quick hands and slick teamwork are just some of the attributes required. If you want to ‘get down and get dirty’ and be where the ‘going gets tough and the tough get going’ – this dinkum Aussie outback sport is for you!
    A handsome collection of trophies were on offer courtesy of the “Stockman’s Hall of Fame” as well as championship sashes and prizes by donors. In the “Open Singles” the defending champions, ‘Contractors’ from Longreach were again victorious with catcher, Peter Kleinschmidt; front leg Tricia Bichsel; back leg, Mick Bichsel and brander, Carolyn Doyle. Second was ‘Mount Barry’ station SA and third, was ‘Red Rock 1’.
    The “Novice Singles” competition provided valuable experience for Bronco Branding aspirants. First was ‘Macumba Novice’, an Oodnadatta team of catcher, Gregory Warren; front leg, Eddie Nunn; back leg, Justin Nunn and brander Chloe Nunn. Second place was team ‘Willoughby’ led by catcher Bill Willoughby and third was team ‘Chris Reynolds’.
    “Open Doubles” champions for 2011 were the legendary Marree family team of ‘Litchfield’ with catchers Ian and Adam; front leg, Gordon; back leg, Peter and brander, Kane. They relegated last year’s champions ‘B41’ of Birdsville, Qld to second position, followed by ‘Mount Barry’ station SA in third place.
    The next championships will be held at Longreach in May 2012.
    Marree Picnic Races and Gymkhana
    The races and gymkhana draw a good crowd on the Saturday of the Queen’s Birthday Weekend. “Through the drought years, it’s been hard to keep these events going but it is important for the community to come together and celebrate”, says Sharon Bell, secretary of the local pony club, who wears many ‘hats’ in this small community.
    Over the weekend, young riders also had the rare opportunity to be part of a clinic with experienced horseman Bill Willoughby – a former “Man From Snowy River Challenge” winner and last year’s ‘Boss Drover’ on the “Great Australian Cattle Drive”.
    The main feature on the Saturday race card was the “Drover’s Cup”, won by local horse ‘The Tailer’ owned by Lacy, Landon and Lani Khan. It was trained by Dion Khan of Marree.
    Between the picnic races there were a variety of gymkhana events for under-10, 13, 16 and open riders. These included barrel races, musical chairs, ‘rider rescue’ double-dinking and whip cracking balloons.
    Visit the official website www.broncobrandingaustralia.com for information. See more Marree championships’ and gymkhana photos at www.horsephotographics.com.au  ©James Vereker 2011

    (First published in Australian Horseman magazine Sep-Oct 2011).
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