Forget Santa – Australia’s elite cowboys are coming to town.
On Saturday, November 23, Penrith Paceway will be home to the adrenaline-fuelled Xtreme Bulls event, showcasing pro bull riding and bareback broncs that will have hearts pounding.
Gates will open at 3pm, junior and rookie bull-riders will kickstart the action at 5pm, and the main event with the big guns will start at 7pm.
Xtreme Bulls Australia CEO Simon Cresswell said this is their fourth year coming to Penrith, and they normally see crowds of over 6,000 people.
“It’s run as a full professional outfit,” Cresswell said.
“We have the big screens, big sound systems, and of course we get the best guys from the country coming to these events.”
One of the standouts will be returning champ and internationally-recognised Tumut cowboy Dylan Weir, who is currently leading the 2024 Xtreme Bulls Tour and will be taking his talents to Texas next year. Before then though, he has a date in Penrith.
“He’s the 2023 Xtreme Bulls Tour champion and he’s just been freshly crowned the 2024 Australian Professional Rodeo Association Bull Riding Champion,” Cresswell told the Weekender.
“He’s also broken the record for the amount of money won in one season.”
We’ll see if Weir can go back-to-back as judges watch the competitors try to stay atop their bull or bronc for eight seconds before issuing a score out of 100.
“They like to see who’s more in control – not loose, or out of control, or just hanging in there,” Cresswell explained.
“We’ve never had 100 points in Australia – that’s nearly impossible.
“A really big score in our sport in Australia would be around 90 to 92 points.”
In addition to watching the toughest sport on dirt, attendees at the Penrith event can keep themselves entertained with food, a full bar, merchandise, show rides, and half-time entertainment in the arena.
Tickets start at $26 for children and go up to $40 for adults.
You can purchase your ticket at http://www.123tix.com.au.
Ally Hall
Ally Hall joined the Weekender in 2024, and focuses on entertainment and community stories. She is a graduate of the University of South Australia.