Rodeos are generally considered dangerous events, but the 2022 Kalgan Stampede Rodeo in Western Australia's south broke the stereotype last week.
No human or animal was injured in a first for the event, making the day more enjoyable for all.
The danger of rodeo competitions was highlighted on New Year's Eve when a rider was killed at an event in Queensland, while another incident at the start of last year saw a teenager lose his thumb.
Kalgan is just a couple of kilometres north-east of Albany, and event organiser Tom Kennedy said he was thrilled with how his event ran.
"For the first time, we didn't have anyone stretchered out of the arena, which was great," he said.
Truck loads of sand were brought into the facility before the rodeo covering the arena, creating a softer landing for riders.
Mr Kennedy said this served in the favour of the animals as well.
"[The ground is] a bit softer for everyone, which meant the bulls couldn't buck as hard, they don't have the traction on the ground," he said.
"But it also means that they're safer as well, we don't end up with any broken legs, so it worked really well."
Mr Kennedy and his team put down a layer of white sand coupled with black topsoil, with soft dirt added on top for extra padding.
"That arena goes under water for probably about four to five months if it rains early, and so it's fairly compact sand," he said.
"To have that nice little bit on top, there's some nice soft landing."
Mr Kennedy said he planned to keep the sand for next year's event.
Calling bull on stereotypes
Mr Kennedy's own brahman bull, Bruce, weighs almost a tonne, but his size and breed is not to be feared.
"Bruce is breaking the mould … and showing how they are beautiful animals, and you can hug them, pat them, they've got a sense of humour," he said.
"It just comes down at how they reflect what you do to them."
Mr Kennedy is able to let Bruce walk around the paddocks, knowing he will not get angry.
For him, ensuring the animals are enjoying the rodeo is just as important as the riders' fun.
"The [animals] are the superstars of the arena … they're enjoying their little world," he said.
"They're not going off to the meat market, they've got a purpose in life, and they have a lot of fun."
More competitors last year
Scoring at a rodeo is half on the rider's performance, and other half on the animal's efforts.
The more serious the rider, the more likely they are to try to match their abilities with an animal that will give them a high score.
"We had more competitors than last year, and they all went really well," Mr Kennedy said.
Each rider aims to stay on for eight seconds.
"Some of the novices actually made the eight seconds," Mr Kennedy said.
"Generally they fall off about one-and-a-half seconds out of the gate, so it's a testament to the bulls as well."
Overall, it was the community aspect that made Mr Kennedy's day.
"For us, it was our best rodeo we've had as a family, best rodeo we've had as a happy gathering of thousands of people," he said.
