Fresh from taking out the 2024 King of the Ranges Stockman’s Challenge, Young’s Kieran Davidson will be saddling up “Trev” again for the Battle on the Bidgee at Gundagai this weekend. Photo: Kieran Davidson.
Watch out Gundagai, because the King of the Ranges is headed your way this weekend ready for Battle on the ‘Bidgee.
Just weeks after taking out his second consecutive crown at Murrurundi’s annual ultimate test of horsemanship – the King of the Ranges Stockman’s Challenge – the dust will have only just settled on the boots of Young’s finest horseman, Kieran Davidson, before he packs up to saddle up again down south.
He and his trusty steed Edenvale Orion, known modestly as ”Trev”, are among a swathe of competitors taking part in the three-day event at Gundagai Showground on the banks of the Murrumbidgee, many of them no slouches in the challenge arena, including Kieran’s wife Christy and father-in-law Steve Connor.
Not only will they be breathing down his neck, especially Christy – a repeat Man from Snowy River, King of the Ranges Ladies challenge winner – but local challenge champs in Cootamundra’s Morgan Webb and his wife Emma will be looking to defend their titles on home turf.
But the jostling for challenge crowns continues.
Add to the mix a rider who’s no stranger to challenge crowns – four-time King of the Ranges, two-time Man from Snowy River, Victoria’s High Country Cattleman’s Cup included – Tooma’s Dave Mitchell. He was second in the 2023 Battle on the Bidgee and took fourth in the 2024 Man from Snowy River Challenge, which was won by Morgan Webb, with Kieran placing fifth in that event.
Also in contention are Sam Webb, Johnny Mitchell; in the striplings Tumut’s Jorji Sturt and juniors Gundagai’s Claire Lindley.
Stockman’s Challenges are uniquely Australian in that they’re designed to highlight the skills required to work cattle in the bush and test the ability of horse and rider.
Battle on the Bidgee president Shane Piper says the event is now in its 11th year and stronger than ever.
“In that time, we’ve had two years of flood and two years of COVID but 2019 was a monster event, described as the biggest event that year in the Riverina, so given the wealth of top-level competitors we’re very lucky and we’ve got our fingers crossed good weather is on our side and hopefully we’ll top that,” he said.
The spectators are guaranteed plenty of action, starting on Friday at 6:30 am with two days of preliminary events including stock handling, packhorse, whip crack, a dry work pattern, bareback obstacle, horseshoeing and cross country.
On day three, the top 10 open competitors will then take part in a wild-horse catch and poley buckjump, the top five women competitors will also compete in a wild-horse catch and a working cow horse event, while the top five juniors will go head-to-head in a time trial and steer catch.
Novice riders and striplings – junior riders aged 10 years and under 14 – will have their own chance at arena glory, the former in a working cow horse event and the latter in a smaller challenge involving a dry work pattern, whip crack, cow cut-out, bareback and cross country.
Local rider events, an open campdraft, barrel races and an invitational bull ride round out the program, supplemented by small-breed dog races, market stalls and activities including a bar in a horse float offering cocktails.
And, for the first time, younger children, aged three to seven, will be competing in a mini-challenge on Friday which includes an apple bob, ball throw and a bear hop.
Organisers are encouraging people to make a weekend of it by packing their camping gear and heading up or down the highway to Gundagai Showground on Oibell Drive.
For more information, visit the Battle on the Bidgee website.
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