THE annual Rupununi Rodeo at Lethem is set to start on Saturday, March 30, and continue through to Easter Monday, April 1. It is expected to attract thousands, said a press release from the Tourism Ministry, which pointed out that the event, staged each year over the Easter weekend, continues to generate regional and international interest, with people flocking to the region for the most popular inland cultural and sporting festival in Guyana.

The release said day time activities will include wild-bull riding, horse racing, wild-cow milking, wild-horse riding, a female barrel race, and steer roping, among other exhilarating events.

The evening programmes will feature festivities in the form of a cultural fair with food, games, music and the lively ‘Fawhaw’ dance, which is said to have its origin in the popular Northeast Brazilian ‘Forró’ dance.

The release said the rodeo has growing support, not only from the local ranches, but also from the private sector in Georgetown, which has strengthened the wish to give it more regional and international exposure.

The statement said that, in an effort to harness the potential of the Rupununi Rodeo, the Tourism Ministry and the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) have collaborated with several operators to offer tour packages for the rodeo and other events that fall within the Phagwah/Easter season, under the ‘Re-Discover Home’ initiative.                        

The release indicated that the initiative was launched to provide the opportunity for citizens, businesses, organisations and tourists to discover the tourism opportunities that Guyana has to offer. To this end, several affordable and pocket-friendly tour packages for the Phagwah, Easter, Regatta and Rodeo period were submitted to the GTA by local and international operators, including Dagron Tours, Wilderness, Adventure Guianas, Roraima Tours, Hurakabra Resort, and Old Fort Tours.

Vigorously marketed
The release said these packages, ranging in cost from US$40 to US$260, were vigorously marketed by the GTA through several media, including print and television, social, e-mail and web blasting locally and internationally.

In addition to this, the GTA has established a permanent website, www.visitgy.com, where information on the offers is available, and where reservations and enquiries can be made.

Further, due to the high demand for hotel accommodation in Lethem for the Rodeo, visitors are being directed to alternative accommodation, including camping at selected sites or hotels in Bon Fin, Brazil, which is a five-minute drive from the Takutu Bridge.

The GTA said it has also been working with regional officials and private sector groups to prepare camping grounds, hammocks and washroom facilities for coastlanders and for international visitors who will be attending the annual Rodeo.

Because of the limited space available, those who are seeking an unforgettable experience and a glimpse of the most-talked-about occurrence over the Easter weekend are being invited to contact the GTA on telephone numbers 219-0094/6 for reservations, as soon as possible.

The Rupununi Rodeo has its origins in the middle of the last century, when vaqueros competed against each other in various skills. It subsequently grew from being centralised in St. Ignatius before moving to Lethem in 1985.