‘Welcome to the wild side!' − 2019 Rupununi Rodeo underway

‘Welcome to the wild side!’ − 2019 Rupununi Rodeo underway

Apr 22, 2019 News

If you enjoy the thrills of vaqueros straddling wild bulls or attempting to milk wild cows, then the Rupununi Rodeo in Lethem, Region 9 is definitely the place to be this Easter.
This is the time that the border town of Lethem comes to life; planes landing more than usual, buses and pickup vehicles in a regular entering in larger numbers, hotels booked out and stores are filled with persons doing last minute shopping for their cowboy hats and plaid shirts.
The highly anticipated event got off to a great start on Saturday, as cowboys and cowgirls from the Rupununi and neighbouring Brazil battled in adrenaline-pumping competitions of calf roping, cow milking, wild bull riding, saddle bronco and bareback bronco.
A First for Many
The rodeo attracted many first-timers who travelled to Lethem mostly from Georgetown.

Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock leads the parade of Vaqueros into the Rupununi Ranchers Rodeo ground to officially begin the 2019 Rodeo

John Flores, who travelled to the Rupununi with a group of friends said, “It’s my first time here and it’s been a very nice experience so far, we came up yesterday [Good Friday] so we are just taking in everything right now.”
A re-migrant from Trinidad and Tobago, Tiffany Roberts was thrilled; she took the trip to Lethem as it has made her notice the richness of the Indigenous culture and the pristine beauty, which exists beyond Georgetown.
“It’s actually my first experience at the rodeo; I just moved back home actually so it’s a great experience. I particularly love the Indigenous art that they have; it just portrays their talent… didn’t actually know Guyana was this beautiful until I came into the interior region, so it says a lot.”
Meanwhile, others travelled to Lethem with their families with the simple expectation of enjoying the Easter weekend.
Orlando Jackman, owner of Fas Grafix said, “It’s the first time I am here at the Rodeo and yes, I am blown away and amazed, even after a long 24-hour drive, but you know what? At the end of the day it is worth every minute of it.”
The Rupununi Rodeo has its origin dating back in the 1960s when, before the rainy season every year, the ranching community would hold a large round-up of the cattle which freely roamed between each other’s herds. This round-up was done to ensure that the cattle were safely medicated, branded and accounted for before the region drastically changed with the coming floods. After the cows were rounded up, the cowboys boasted of their skills in lassoing, bull riding or taming of horses. Therefore, to celebrate a successful round-up, the ranchers would hold a competition where the cowboys showcased their adventurous lifestyle, inviting neighbours from Brazil and other regions across the country.
It is out of this that the Rodeo was birthed, as an organised event and tourist attraction, retaining much of its spectacular wildness, adopting the slogan ‘Welcome to the wild side’. Today, this event is deemed one of Guyana’s signature events during the Easter weekend.
The activity commenced at approximately 13:00hrs at the Lethem Airport, with Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock leading a large parade of Vaqueros into the Rupununi Ranchers Rodeo Ground, where hundreds of local and overseas visitors gathered to witness the thrilling activities.

Scenes from the Rupununi Rodeo

Declaring the event open, Minister Allicock said that the Rodeo is ‘special’ for the people of the Rupununi and presents great opportunities for social cohesion, since persons of all ethnicities visit the region to witness this unique event. Minister Allicock said that the government is committed to supporting events such as this.
“Rodeo is a celebration of our identity and our culture and your government commits to support these events… it is events like these that contribute to Guyana earning the number one eco-tourism destination in the world, not just in the region or in South America, but the entire world. How amazing is that… the ministry and the government will continue to work with the region and the villages to make this a bigger activity in the future.”
Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton noted that the Rupununi Rodeo has been a part of the country’s national calendar of activities. However, he said more emphasis needs to be placed to market this activity locally and internationally.
“We need to have a special budgetary allocation to see how much we can help this unique activity in the Rupununi advance …. and as a government, we are prepared to give the support to get there.”
Minister Allicock also presented a $1M cheque to the Rodeo Committee, which is an organ of the Rupununi Livestock Producers Association. This is an annual contribution from the government to assist with the event.
Yesterday’s activities at the Rupununi Ranchers Rodeo ground saw tug-o-war, barrel races and horse racing competitions; and then all roads lead to the Sand Creek Rodeo today.
(A DPI feature)