ONCE again, thousands who hunger for a taste of High Country lifestyle and for a taste of a cowboy’s life will descend upon Mansfield Shire when McCormack Park, Merrijig hosts its iconic rodeo on Saturday, March 8.

It may not be Australia’s oldest rodeo, but no other can match the Merrijig event for the title of the nation’s most authentic rodeo.

Standing in the same golden fields as the cattlemen who built Merrijig, and much of Mansfield Shire, back in the late nineteenth century, nestled in the shadow of Mt Buller, there is simply no better, nor more beautiful place to host a rodeo.

Arguably the most iconic event in the High Country calendar, the rodeo has celebrated the region’s illustrious past and its present as the home of some of Australia’s most acclaimed cattlemen since 1976.

The 48th edition, held in 2024, set new attendance records having drawn a crowd of more than 4000 and organisers are hoping the 2025 event will be bigger and better than ever before.

Locals who want to try out being a cowboy or cowgirl for the day are encouraged to enter the Jess Hearn Memorial Local Steer Ride and put their skills to the test.

Gates open at 12pm and the action kicks off when the juniors compete in breakaway roping, the first event of the day, at 1pm.

The main events kick off at 6pm and concludes at 10pm.

Tickets are on sale now at merrijigrodeo.com.