The likeable Kyabram local has an association with the iconic event stretching back to the 1950s, not so many years after the staging of the town’s first rodeo.
John has been a coalface worker for the rodeo during the years — the last 53 on the organising committee — and now at the grand old age of 82 still keeps on eye on things and willingly helps outs where and when he can.
There was a ritual in the famous rodeos past that riders attending the rodeo met on the eve of the rodeo at John’s Kyabram home where they would get an unofficial good-old Kyabram welcome to the town.
Those were mainly the days when the Kyabram Rodeo was staged on the Monday of the Labour Day holiday weekend.
John’s warm welcomes have led to lifelong personal friendships with many of Australia’s top riders.
John’s contribution to the Kyabram Rodeo had been so significant over such a lengthy period of time that in 1999 the show society, which runs the famous event, acknowledged his tireless input by naming the rodeo arena in his honour.
John calls that honour “the greatest moment of my life”.
The Kyabram rodeo dates back to 1946 when the then-president of the Kyabram AH and P George Ruler nominated a rodeo be held in the town to celebrate the end of World War II.
The first rodeo held at the Kyabram Recreation Reserve was a huge success and forerunner to 76 rodeos since then and justifiably earning the reputation of being among, if not the best one-day rodeo in the land.
And you can bet a bucking horse to a whip crack one of the first though the gates on Friday will be John Smith.
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