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01/11/2026

𝗖𝗔𝗡'𝗧 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗗 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗦?
Didn't livestream, was away for the weekend golfing but can anyone tell me who won the APRA NFR Australian Champion and NFR Aggregate titles at Scone this weekend apart from the amazing record breaking duo of Bailey O'Dell in Saddle Bronc and the incredible Candy Michaelis in Barrel Race?

Nearly 24 hours on, no pics nor results that I can find, please send me a link in comments, would like to congratulate our 2025 champions.

Big thanks to Bruce O'Dell and the team at Barrel Horse Stats - Aus (you should follow this Barrel Race page, up to date and awesome info).
Cheers.

27/10/2026

If you’re in NZ …
TAKE A LOOK BEFORE YOU VOTE!!
Does your political party support a BAN on the use of animals in RODEO events!!

23/10/2026

𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚? 𝗡𝗔𝗛 ...𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗥 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗣𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗚
Under the proposed new Code of Welfare Minimum Standards for NZ Rodeo, a cowboy cannot make a steer ‘recumbent’, that is, cannot make it lay (take it to the ground)

Instead he must ride up beside it, (he’s still allowed a hazer to aid the straight running of the steer) and somehow, and someone really needs to explain how this is physically possible, this 75-90kg cowboy at a speed of 50+kph has to make a 200kg+ steer come to a stop to give it a cuddle for the judge?

Just unbelievable.

The advances that have been made in animal welfare in this feature event in rodeo are huge.
Hell, we used to run them down the back of a truck ramp and truly ‘wrestle them’.

But thankfully, that was long ago!

Our modern day steers wrestler relies on technique and that technique is using the inertia of the animal, timing the get off from their horse at 50kph to unbalance the steer and cause it to fall off all fours.

The fastest time wins so technique and timing are everything.
It’s not about having a ‘fight’ (wrestle) with a 200kg+ steer, seldom have I ever seen a cowboy win that.

The Anti’s claim this event is cruel to the animal.
In all my years shooting at hundreds of Rodeos, just like I noted yesterday for Rope and Tie, I have never seen a steer not leave the arena of its own accord.

But I have seen plenty of cowboys injured because under the rules, steers must weight a minimum of 200 kg and have a minimum of 150mm of natural horn – so yes, many a cowboy has come off way worse than any steer.

They are a flight animal, they run, the cowboy has one attempt which must be completed inside 30 seconds to lay the steer.

In my view, no rule changes needed.
I support 30 secs, I support, one attempt, I support 1 stride to regain, realistically I know the cowboy won’t win the wrestle, they are too strong!

Let’s get a greenie (or ten) to try a stop a single steer at that speed.
They’d be running for the gates faster than they do after they’ve had their little 10 person protest against rodeos for the lefty media.

Here’s a few pics of just how amazing this event is.
I especially loved Mount Isa Rodeo when we would schedule steer wrestling (thanks Steve Hilton) for the afternoon sun so cowboys were riding into the light and I was shooting back into black in the 25m long score which is now, sadly gone.

We’re on the cusp of the NZ Rodeo season which kicks off at Wi******er Rodeo Club tomorrow, Saturday the 24th October then up the road to Methven Rodeo for Sunday 25th on the NZ Labour Weekend long weekend.

Let’s make sure this is not the last time we see this event contested as it is now in Aotearoa.
Support the campaign by signing the petition link in the comments:

And take a look at the proposed new Code of Welfare – you’ll be shocked at what NAWAC (National Animal Welfare Advisory Council) is proposing, I’m amazed they haven’t said we should ride mechanical bulls, this whole thing is so skewed towards the tiny, tiny, tiny minority of whinging animal activists who sadly make much more noise than the real world.

It’s time for the ‘real world’ to make our noise, for the officials to understand what rodeo means to us, to our rural communities, to our lives, to us personally, to our family, it’s time for each of us to make a submission to keep our amazing sport alive in NZ

And I urge all our Aussie mates and Rodeo fans and supporters all around the world to make submissions and all other disciplines to join the fight because if they get Rodeo, just like they’ve gotten Grey Hound Racing in some States, Rope and Tie in Victoria, any animal event is under threat (better hide your pets, we won’t be allowed them either).

This is serious.
It’s time to cowboy and cowgirl up and get serious about the future of our sport.

I’ll talk more about Barrel Racing in the days ahead, in the interim, for those back home, enjoy Wi******er and Methven Rodeos, sadly, no photos, no results from me this season but I wish all the fabulous cowboys and cowgirls I have met and photographed for over a decade all the best, I miss you all already!

Cheers,
Stephen

22/10/2026

𝗣𝗔𝗬 𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗘 𝗢𝗡 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗘𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞?
I tried to post a story tonight:
I got this:

Anyone know a work around ?
if not, FB. I'm gone?!!

Facebook??
Facebook for Creators ??

21/10/2026

𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚!
Forget Rope and Tie, under the proposed NAWAC (National Animal Welfare Advisory Council) in New Zealand, it’s Rope and nothing! (First image)
The recommended practise for the future of rodeo is that you cannot tie your calf.
Essentially rope it and sit in your saddle. Full stop.

It’s one of the feature events in Rodeo, a skill used on the farm to treat sick and injured animals, but under the proposed revisions to the code, no longer allowed.
What a joke. Actually, it’s not a joke this is real, they want to decimate Rodeo.

If you haven’t already, sign the petition,
https://www.change.org/p/support-the-continued-existence-and-practice-of-rodeo-events-in-new-zealand?utm_medium=custom_url&utm_source=share_petition&recruited_by_id=81f298b0-b04f-11f0-8816-8b3112196785
Make a submission to keep this event on the program.
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/72791/direct

As you think about that, here’s a few images of some of my favourite Rope and Tie runs.

The skills is with the cowboy to ‘control the slack’ and in so doing the calf will seldom if ever be flipped. And, going down the lariat with his horse that has probably spent 3 years in training to maintain the rope so the cowboy can go down the line, the cowboy has a much greater chance of making a fast time.

It's a timed event, best skills and best horse partner = best time.

With the recent voluntary introduction by the NZ Rodeo Cowboys Association of the 'Ropers Mate’,a device used in Australia and other countries to reduce the impact on the animal has been proven to be significantly reduced but, in the documents, NAWAC disputes this.

Globally, animal injuries in Rope and Tie are less than .05% over hundreds of events and thousands of runs.

In my time, shooting hundreds and hundreds of rodeos, I have never seen a calf not leave the arena of its own accord even when it has left its feet. And I hate that as much as anyone watching.

To the Anti’s that look at my photos and go ‘you don’t show what really happens’ (eg) a calf off it's legs.
You know why ? The lariat is 28ft long, calf runs sideways and I’m focussed on the cowboy, so the calf is out of the picture.

Again, tag your mates, tag rodeo events, tag your local politician, let’s save NZ Rodeo as we know it and for all in Australia, if they shut it down in NZ, we’re just over the ditch.

Let’s make a lot of noise cowboys and cowgirls.

NZ Rodeo Cowboys Australian Professional Rodeo Association - APRA ABCRA Est 1946 Calgary Stampeders Houston Rodeo and Live Stock Show Campbell Hodson Shane Kenny Wrangler Ariat Australia Wrangler NFR - National Finals Rodeo 2026 Thomas & Mack Wrangler NFR Rodeo Bronc Riding Nation

19/10/2026

𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗖𝗢𝗪𝗕𝗢𝗬 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗖𝗢𝗪𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟 𝗨𝗣!
Or should I say, wake up, our sport is under massive threat.
We wander along thinking it's all OK but uh-uh, it's not.
We are facing extinction, so get vocal, NOW!

If you haven’t been on socials, there’s some s**t going down for rodeo in New Zealand and NZ Rodeo Cowboys.

New Zealand Rodeo is under massive threat from the Anti’s with the MPI (Minister of Primary Industries) review of the Code of Welfare for Rodeo Animals currently under review – the last update was in 2018.

For our sport, the events of Rope and Tie and Steer Wrestling will be essentially banned.

In Rope and Tie you can’t lay a calf and tie it’s legs, in Steer Wrestling you can stop a steer but can’t make it ‘recumbent’, a w***y word that means you can’t throw it with or without the inertia that completes the best runs.

Oh, and if you’re Barrel Racing, you cannot whip your horse, with a whip or rein or any item on the run home. Really?

Wherever you are in the rodeo world, if they get this s**t through, NZ Rodeo as we currently know it is gone, so we desperately need the rodeo world’s support.

Write in.
Explain why our sport needs to be preserved.

Read the documents here, especially the NAWAC (National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee)
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/72793-NAWAC-evaluation-report-of-the-Code-of-Welfare-Rodeos and see how many times the American former rodeo rider (maybe once) large animal Vet the 80+ year old non-practising Dr Peggy Larsen is quoted.
One opinion. And wrong.

Where are our NZ Veterinarians who actually see our rodeos live.
Speak up, our care for our animals is beyond standards, they are our contractors livelihood, as competitors we want the best, healthiest, arena trained stock to compete against .

I cannot believe the very, very tiny minority, what I call the F #$@’@*g ‘squeaky wheel’ get this much airtime, interest or that city slickers even have any idea of what our sport brings to regional communities.

And our animals.
If our Contractors don’t have stock in the best condition, they have no business.
If our competitors don’t respect the contractors stock, you don’t want to be in that space when they confront each other.
FFS, why would we ever harm or want to harm the animals that actually allow our sport to be?

If ever the expression ‘’Get up’em’’ needs to be embodied by all of us, it’s now.
So let’s go, let’s go get up ’em

Here’s the draft code:
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/72792-Draft-Code-of-Welfare-Rodeos
𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘, 𝗧𝗔𝗚, 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗘, 𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗚𝗘𝗧 𝗨𝗣 ‘𝗘𝗠

𝗟𝗢𝗡𝗚 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗥𝗢𝗗𝗘𝗢, 𝗖𝗢𝗪𝗕𝗢𝗬𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗖𝗢𝗪𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟𝗦

And if you compete in any other equestrian discipline, if they get us, the ‘low hanging fruit’ as the expression goes, be bloody sure you won’t be Show Jumping, riding Dressage, Eventing, playing Polo, no way will you be doing Reined Cow Horse and forget about crossing a timeline in cutting.

Probably won’t be allowed to have a pet dog or cat. FFS

Stand up, make some noise or we’re all stuffed.

But most of all, please, stand up for NZ Rodeo, their first target down-under.

𝗧𝗔𝗚 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗟 𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘!
Your mates, favourites events, big and small rodeos in NZ and Australia and all aroud the world ... let's get our community to help save rodeo in NZ.

Sadly, I now longer have a role in NZ Rodeo but I'll fight like hell to keep this sport going and increasingly viable into the future.

NZ Rodeo Cowboys Australian Professional Rodeo Association - APRA ABCRA Est 1946 North Queensland Elite Rodeo Canterbury Rodeo PBR Australia Gisborne Rodeo Club Millers Flat Rodeo NZ Wi******er Rodeo Club Te Anau Rodeo Club Oberon Rodeo Association Inc. The Man From Snowy River Bush Festival EQUITANA Australia Shane Kenny Campbell Hodson

Could tag so many, can you all please share.
Cheers,
Stephen

19/10/2026

𝗙𝗔𝗩 𝗣𝗜𝗖𝗦 ?
The bloke on the right goes OK but the bloke on the left ... just a bloody legend of Australian Dressage with his amazing 'Chester' in Trot Up.

Miss seeing you in my lens Mr (or is the 'Sir') Gary Lung

17/10/2026

𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗣𝗜𝗖𝗦?
Not many photos of my million images or more that I have taken over the last 13 or so years across all the disciplines are more special than this first one.

Langwarrin, Victoria rider Emma Booth Para Equestrian was just 21 years of age when she and her friend Courtney Fraser were involved in a car accident on their way back to Melbourne after competing at the Albury Horse Trials on the 7th April 2013.

A truck jack-knifed and hit two cars. The driver of the other car was killed as were Courtney’s two horses in the horse float that Emma and Courtney were towing.

Emma and Courtney both suffered significant injuries.
Courtney suffered a fractured knee cap, broken ribs and sternum. For Emma, aside from head, abdominal and leg injuries, her spinal cord was damaged and she was left a paraplegic from the L2 vertebrae.

The world for this talented eventing rider who begin her equestrian career at a young age riding at pony club just totally changed.

Forever.

At eleven years of age, at a pony club event Emma won a competition and the prize was a horse with expenses paid in full for one year.
She named that horse ‘Zidane’.

In 2011 Emma moved to Germany and worked and trained with international dressage rider Holger Schulze. Seven months after her accident in 2013 (four months after she actually wanted to get back on a horse but a solid ‘Whoa’ from her back surgeon temporarily pulled her up) this amazing young woman returned to that base with a goal of competing in the Paralympics.

She debuted at Hartpury in 2014 in a CPEID3* where she placed fifth twice and sixth. That year she was reserve rider for Australia at the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France.

Returning home to Australia, Emma had not been able to find ‘the right horse’ despite a couple of shopping trips to Europe. She was training with the amazing Dutch born Australian coach Lone Jorgensen and training alongside Petra Lee who had imported ‘Mogelvang Zidane’ (Blue Hors Hertug x Valdivia) in 2010.

At Lone’s place Emma had a ride Petra’s on ‘Zidane’ and in 2015 purchased the Danish warmblood gelding, the rest is history on their amazing journey from that point.

Their debut as a combination in Australia was at Boneo Park in Grade II in the CPEDI in January 2016. And with the growth of their partnership they marked high scores to secure selection into the Australian Team for the 2016 Paralympics in Rio.

There, Emma and ‘Zidane’ finished fifth in the Individual Championship Test Grade II and 13th in the Dressage Individual Team Test Grade II and was part of the Australian team that finished ninth overall in the Team Competition

Selected again for their second Paralympics in Tokyo in 2020, Emma and ‘Mogelvang Zidane’ finished eighth in the Individual Championship Test Grade III and fifth in the Dressage Individual Team Test Grade III and was part of the Aussie team that finished 13th in the Team’s competition.

Sadly, ‘Zidane’ was lost to Emma and to the Paralympic Dressage world after a sudden seizure following a standing surgery to remove a broken tooth in 2022.
He couldn’t be resuscitated.

He was a character.
They were the most amazing team.
The love on both sides, palpable.

I’ve been privileged to witness many things through my lens, this combination are one of the most special memories for me.

Emma was reserve for Australia at the 2024 Paralympic Games at the Versailles Palace in Paris, had she been named I would have been crowd funding to be there too!

I love the memories I have been privileged to see through my lens over the years of this very special woman and especially this pair.
I cannot tell you the privilege it is to be to call such a positive, enthusiastic, amazing person my friend.

‘Zidane’ was always keen to see photos of himself, before I posted anything, especially at Boneo Park.

At that venue, ‘Zidane’ and Emma would come and check out my images immediately after their test, both keen for socials!!

I truly miss them both in my lens.

But I thank my lucky stars that I have been there to be witness to their amazing tests
Thanks Emma, thanks ‘Zidane’, hard to describe all I have witnessed. Special, extra-ordinary, amazing, exhilarating, incredible just don’t cut it xx

Big hugs from your #1 fan

17/10/2026

𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗣𝗜𝗖𝗦?
Change of discipline, we're heading to the Dressage Arena for the next few.

I first 'met' Django of Cacharel' through my lens at EQUITANA Australia in Melbourne when we held the show at the Exhibition Centre with the amazing lighting such a venue supports. He was bought into the arena as a tribute was read out to one of the personnel who had passed away since the last show.

I’d never seen a Friesian stallion before. He was big, black and just stunning, his tail was out, his mane was plaited, he was magnificent and I couldn’t take enough photos!
My favourite photo of he and the 'Strategic Commander' Jeremy Janjic who campaigned him on behalf of Lynn Jenkin (aka SWPTB – she who pays the bills) at Tashkent Friesians is the first in this group of photos.

One of my favourite memories of this magnificent stallion and one of my favourite photos, which I can't find, was actually taken by his then groom and now wife Kathryn Crofts and it was of 'Django' and 'Jeremy' (Djeremy!) warming up in the pouring rain at Dressage With Altitude at Orange in maybe 2014 and after enduring that, they entered the indoor arena and all you could hear was the sound of the rain on the roof and 'those hooves' in the piaffe. I always wanted to have 'sound' in my photos of 'Django'.

I watched him dance at every elite event in the country, it was always special to watch him and to hear him dance and I saw him dance in his last Grand Prix at EQUITANA Australia in 2016 and tried to take photos of that with tears in my eyes as I watched Jeremy with tears in his eyes take a final bow to the adoring crowd that followed him wherever he went.

What a special, special horse and a most brilliant partnership between horse and rider and rider / owner that saw him capture the hearts of thousands and thousands of not just dressage fans but of horse lovers here in Australia and in New Zealand, such was his presence.

He passed away on the 23rd March 2024 leaving a huge hole on the hearts of Lynn and the Janjic's but the great news is there's plenty of 'Django' progeny on the ground to thrill us in the years ahead.

Thanks for all the amazing memories 'Django' and Jeremy, my heart always beat a little faster when you entered the arena and I couldn't wait to see the photos at the end of the performance to see if I had actually been able to do your beauty, grace and style some justice.
I hope I did over the years.

'Django Of Cacherel', was always 'camera candy' for me over the years, thank you for the dance, the sound and the memories.

So the first few pics are some I love (and can readily find) of 'Django' and Jeremy and then there's the 'Last Dance', their final performance at EQUITANA Melbourne in 2016

16/10/2026

𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗣𝗜𝗖𝗦?
Come in spinner!
Of the multiple reining manoeuvres, spins (or turn arounds) can be one of the most exciting.

Beginning from a standstill, the horse needs to spins 360 degrees or more (up to four and one-quarter full turns) in place around its stationary inside hind leg. The hind pivot foot should ideally remain in the same location throughout the spin, though the horse will pick it up and put it down as it turns.

Judges are scoring based on correctness, smoothness, and cadence.
And speed! (the bit I love the most!)
Speed adds to the difficulty and will improve the score of a correctly done spin manoeuvre.

A reining pattern requires at least one set of spins in each direction. Horses must stop the spin in the designated place or they are penalised for over or under spinning and how the hell you stop a horse at high speed still amazes me!

Lana Kelderman can spin, on any horse she shows.

When she comes into the pen I know the spins will be epic, like they were at EQUITANA Australia in 2022 when Lana and ‘Nu Too Much’ were crowned Reining Master Champions, the same event and the same run where I started this week with the ‘hug photo’

It’s been fun going down memory lane with images, next week, another discipline, stay tuned!!
But if you have a favourite image, let me know in comments.
Cheers,
Stephen

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