Since its humble beginnings in 2007, the Merbein Community Rodeo is still proving to be one of the most popular events on the community’s calendar. Teagan Bell catches up with an original committee member and the event’s current president to discover the story behind the rodeo’s continued success and the contribution of one of its most significant supporters.
Dusty beginnings
The Merbein Community Rodeo was established with one hope – to put the small town of Merbein on the map.
After the apparent success of a rodeo held at Tapio Station in NSW, it was suggested to council that a similar event could be hosted in Merbein.
The idea was approved and Merbein local Bill Crosbie was appointed president of the newly formed Merbein Community Rodeo Inc committee.
“After that, Bill went to see John Thompson who was a fruit inspector and a bit community minded,” former committee member Kevin Muller says.
“They both realised they didn’t know much about rodeo and that’s when they came to see me.”
Now 89, Kevin joined the rodeo circuit at 16 after leaving home with only the clothes on his back, a blanket and five pounds to his name.
It was a path he pursued for almost two decades, competing in all kinds of rodeo events from bronc riding to bulldogging.
Together, Kevin, John and Bill headed the committee, and though the trio didn’t have an exact vision for what they wanted the event to be, its continued success has come as a surprise.
“We were only trying to get something started and then it went on and on and on,” Kevin says with a laugh.
“The first year was a bit of a disaster because the day we’d picked was probably the hottest one we’d had,” Kevin’s wife Marie says.
“Only two or three hundred turned up and we thought we were going to go broke straight away.
“There was this awful wind and a dust storm which came and blew everything away.
“We never thought we’d have another one – but we did.”
Since then, the event’s popularity has grown each year, bringing in ever-expanding crowds and an endless queue of food and beverage vendors keen to be part of the action.
“It’s been picking up all the time and we haven’t struck a bad day since,” Marie says.
“There’s been no real issue – the only disaster now is when they run out of beer too soon.”
A family affair
While the event includes standard rodeo events such as the saddle bronc, bareback and bullride, Kevin says what makes the rodeo so special is its community spirit and family appeal.
“I think it’s a good thing for Merbein because it attracts people of all ages,” he says.
“You’ve got little kids dying to get in and pensioners who love it.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by his son Jeff, who has been president of the committee for the past three years.
“I think it brings the Sunraysia community together, which was the dream of the committee when they got it up and running,” he says, adding that the family element is also significant behind the scenes.
“The committee is like a bit of a family, we all get on well together.
“When Dad got off of the committee I thought I’d better step up and help because I want to keep it running, which was the main thing because the original committee have done a lot of work to keep it going.
“Dad still comes out to help out and John does a lot of work organising things, but he’s slowly letting go of the reins a bit and his daughter has taken over as assistant treasurer with him, so that’s a great help.”
Reflecting on success
Reflecting on the rodeo’s history, Kevin says though there haven’t been any stand out moments, some of the constant aspects of the event have contributed to its success.
“One thing I’ve noticed, having an event like that, is that the crowd has been really good,” Kevin says.
“We’ve never had a problem with an unruly crowd.”
While Jeff agrees, he says the calibre of riders the event attracts is its biggest draw-card.
“We get some good riders, like last year we had bronc rider Paul Henschke ride for the drought relief which he came out of retirement for,” he says, adding that the competitors show just as much enthusiasm for the event as its patrons.
“Speaking to the riders, they reckon it’s up with the best rodeos they travel around with.
“I think the crowd has something to do with it, but I also think it’s because we give out belt buckles for each division.
“In some competitions you have to ride in a few events before you can win one.
“The prizemoney is pretty good too.”
When asked why the event has been a continuing hit with the community, both agree it’s due to the sport’s mercurial nature.
“I think it’s just that bit of danger that something’s going to happen,” Jeff says.
“It’s just one of those things – it’s like football.
“Obviously we don’t want people to get hurt, but there’s always that excitement and adrenaline.”
Forging forward
Looking at the event’s future, it’s clear it won’t be riding into the sunset anytime soon, though Jeff says that younger committee members are required to cement the rodeo’s future.
“I’ve talked a few of my younger relatives into coming along and helping out because that’s what we need as a lot of the original members are getting older,” he says.
“We still want to try to get it done, and there are quite a few of the original members who come along to help out, but if they leave then quite a few of us are going to need to step up because those members contribute a fair bit.”
For this year’s event, Jeff hopes the crowd will match last year’s turnout.
“Last year was the biggest year we’ve had,” he says. “I’d say we had around 2000 people there – we could hardly fit them all in.”
Patrons can expect the same categories as usual, from open bullride to junior barrel race, as well as a special presentation honoring some of the original committee members.
Though Jeff says there are no plans to make changes to the event, he says the continual vision was to keep people on their toes.
“We’re keeping it the same for now which might sound a bit boring but I think people like it how it is, so we probably don’t need to change anything yet,” he says.
“I think people just enjoy the thrills and spills and that’s what keeps it exciting.”
A legacy lives on
BILL Crosbie’s passion for rodeo was formed at a young age.
As a boy, his uncle took him to the 1949 Gymkhana Rodeo in Merbein West, where he took to the saddle for the steer ride.
His rodeo career was short-lived though, and it would be nearly 60 years before he would cross paths with the sport again.
In that time, Bill packed a lot into his life, working as a barber, a shearer’s roustabout, an insurance salesman and a horse breeder, trainer and trotting driver, all the while collecting rodeo memorabilia.
He also published seven books, all with an Australian bush theme, as well as penning more than 200 poems and a number of songs, with one called Fred Gutte winning the songwriters award at the Mildura Country Music Festival and first prize at the Bungedore Music Festival.
The 1950s saw him undertake three months of training at Puckapunyal, then five years on the Army Reserve list attending camps and regular training exercises at Mildura’s 8/7 Battalion Headquarters for the National Service call-up.
That decade he also married Noela, and in the 11 years following, they were joined by four children; Roslyn, Janet, Paula and David, who gave them five grandchildren in Riley, Whitney, Dalton, Eathan and Charlotte.
Bill’s love for horses was evident, as he ventured into the breeding side of the business and bought a property on the Avoca River where winning horses would be produced.
After selling up, he and Noela relocated back to Sunraysia in 1990 before setting off to see Australia.
In 2006, the idea to hold a community rodeo in Merbein was approved by Mildura Council and Bill was nominated as president of the newly formed committee, reigniting his passion for the sport
It was a position he held with pride, according to friend and former committee member Kevin Muller.
“For Bill, I think the rodeo was like a second honeymoon,” he says. “It was his baby – he wanted everything to be just right.”
Current president Jeff Muller says Bill’s contribution to the event was crucial.
“Whereas my Dad did a lot of the manual work, Bill and John brought in the sponsors,” he says.
“He brought a lot of enthusiasm to keep the event going and he could razz people up and get them motivated to be a part of it. Without him, the event would’ve folded years ago.”
On August 10 this year, William “Bill” Frederick Crosbie passed away, leaving behind a legacy the rodeo committee is preparing to uphold.
At this year’s event, Bill will be honored as a lifetime member of the rodeo in a special presentation and his name will be memorialised alongside his late wife’s on the Open Bull Ride Trophy.
“He will be missed for sure,” Kevin says.
“We used to joke that he knew everyone in Australia – he was a real people person.”
The 2019 Merbein Community Rodeo will be held on Saturday, October 12 at Kenny Park’s No.3 Oval. Gates open at 5pm, with action underway from 7pm. Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for concession, children $5 and those under five enter for free.
