Ian refuses to bite the dust

SEASONED Tuchekoi rodeo campaigner Ian Allen may not have been the youngest bloke in the arena at the Widgee Showgrounds yesterday but he is still competitive, strong and keen for the challenge of chasing down a steer, dropping from his horse and wrestling the beast to the dust.

Competitors from throughout Queensland descended on Widgee yesterday for the annual Widgee Rodeo.

Steer wrestling is in Ian's blood, and has been since he was a young bloke who took on most categories of the rodeo circuit.

He competed at his first rodeo in Kenilworth when he was 17 years old.

It's been quite a few decades since he has ridden a bull out of the chute, but after 40 years in the arena, this cowboy is still wrestling steers and not doing too bad.

Just last month he took second place in the steer wrestling at the Rathdowney rodeo. In past years he has won important rounds at Warwick and Mt Isa.

In 1986, he won the National Rodeo Association state steer wrestling title.

Ian says that over the years he has had a few sprains and minor injuries from the notoriously dangerous activity, but never anything too serious.

Any broken bones he did get were thanks to the bulls.

He competed at his first rodeo in Kenilworth when he was 17 years old.