THE second day of the 2013 Rupununi Rodeo festivities hosted on Sunday last sparked more fun and entertainment thrill, and this was certainly evident from the thunderous cheers   from the appreciative audience.

The second segment of the activities entailed calf roping, saddle bronco contest, ribbon roping, male and female tug-o-war, greasy pig competition, and rodeo king contest. All the competitions offered attractive cash prizes for the winners.
In a brief interview with Rodeo Committee Chairman, John Macedo, this newspaper was informed that major developmental plans are in place as the committee prepares to take the event to the next level. He noted that every year the event is a phenomenal success, as large crowds gather to witness the electrifying performances of more than 43 vaqueros.
He declared that since the event is attracting such a large attendance, there are definite plans to expand the facility and upgrade it to accommodate the crowds in comfort and style. He added that over time, the impact of the rodeo has certainly brought it a huge fan base and popularity, making it a success, even with minimal advertisement.
He pointed out that the rodeo has grown significantly in  such a way that it has “outlived” the facility at  which it is held yearly.
“The facility has outlived its usefulness; it is well ell over twenty years old. If you notice there are new sections that we are actually erecting in anticipation of next year’s event.”
As a result, he said, the committee will be pumping hundreds of thousands of dollars into upgrading the facility ahead of next year’s event.
He also noted that special attention will be given to the establishment of more hotels and temporary camping facilities to accommodate the thousands of persons who  flock Lethem for the annual event.
At Sunday’s event, the action kicked off  with the calf roping competition, which offered lots of amusement as the calves did everything they could to evade the ropes of the vaqueros.
The saddle bronco contest saw lots of excellent performances and sent the crowd into hysterical fits of laughter as some riders were  thrown from their horses in a billowing cloud of dust, the moment the horses charged from the chutes.
It was all fun and frolic for onlookers when competitors congregated for the ribbon roping competition, since some of them were hardly any match for the very frisky,  young calves as they ran away in wild-eyed fright while  the cowboys attempted to pluck the ribbons tied to their tails.
The tug-o-war and greasy pig contests were fantastic, but it was the watermelon eating competition that brought a delightful climax to the event.
In the female segment of the competition, even the news reporters almost doubled over in laughter at what unfolded.  As the judges finished their countdown, the ladies attacked the large chunks of watermelons with ‘gleeful ferocity’. Some plunged their faces into the fleshy fruit  while others choked and gasped as they attempted to swallow large portions of the juicy pulp. One US-based contestant, however, smartly used her fingers to crush the pulp, thereby allowing her to pack large portions into her mouth, and eventually she won  the competition.
There seemed to be not too much fun when the males arrived, but it was the same ‘finger mashing’ technique by the foreigners that made them win in this segment too.
The final leg of the Rupununi 2013 Rodeo was staged yesterday, and entailed horse racing in the two and four furlong categories.

History of the Rodeo
The origins of the Rupununi Rodeo go back to the middle of the last century. At the end of the roundups and Easter celebrations, vaqueros would get together at their separate ranches and compete against each other in the various skills, usually encouraged by liberal doses of dachas.
From these humble origins, rodeo was eventually conceptualized as a major event in St. Ignatius, just south of the old stock farm, where Easter weekenders, vaqueros and others gathered to contest in their skills. In 1985 the site was moved from the St. Ignatius location to the present Triple R Rodeo Ground.