Entertainment
10 July, 2024
Livingstone ready to ride to glory
KICKING up the dust in the Mareeba Rodeo Arena is where champion bareback rider and steer wrestler Ryan Livingstone is keen to be, with the Townsville athlete gearing up for the big event this weekend.
Coming off the back of a successful Laura Rodeo, where he secured third place, Livingstone is prepped and ready for one of the most dangerous sports in the rodeo scene.
He has been chasing rodeo glory since he was a teenager when he discovered his love for bull riding.
Years later, he found bareback riding was “better on the body” and took on the challenge on the back of the fiercest horses in the circuit.
With a rugged determination etched into his features and a respectable reputation within the area, Livingstone is keen to return to Mareeba – a place he holds close to his heart.
“Mareeba was one of my first rodeos when I was in junior bulls and I just really enjoy the size of it and what it brings along with it,” he said.
“(When riding) you feel like you’re really on top of the world, and you can’t fall off. It is better than any energy drink, that’s for sure.
“The energy is alive up there, and I am sure a lot of cowboys would love to be a part of it at some stage in their career.”
Last year, Livingstone spent time in Canada getting a taste of the international circuit, missing out on the first two-day Mareeba Rodeo since Covid19.
But this year, he back is as ready as ever, especially for his all-time favourite event – the State of Origin.
“It is just electric competing in the origin,” he said.
“I remember watching the origin for the first time as a kid and remember thinking what a really cool event.
“I think the first year I was chosen to be a part of the origin as a bareback rider was one of my best times.
“I love it. It is just absolutely unreal and one of the best things about rodeo – I can’t wait to do it again.”
Ahead of the big event, Livingstone will cross-train in the gym to prepare his body, focusing on strength, mobility, flexibility and agility.
“I am obviously aiming to work on my strength – being bareback riding, it takes a lot of that – and mobility is the other big thing,” he said.
“Mobility is huge because it helps with the soreness that comes with two days of riding, plus origin, plus the finals, which usually means you end up on four different horses.”
Livingstone is set to take to the arena on Saturday and Sunday for both bareback and steer wrestling events.
Tickets for the Mareeba Rodeo are on sale at the Mareeba Rodeo website or at the gate.
