Mareeba's rodeo history started in 1949 with the first rodeo held in July. In 1959 the Mareeba Rodeo Festival Queen Competition was started and in 1967 Mareeba became part of the World Rodeo Championship Series with the Rodeo Festival Week replacing the defunct Tobacco Festival.
In 1970 the decision was made to shift the rodeo to the old Aerodrome Reserve, renamed Kerribee (Wild Horse) Park, with the first rodeo held there in 1979.
In 1983 Mareeba held its first Rodeo Clown Competition, judged on a freestyle and protection component. The freestyle section ceased with the 2002 rodeo and the competition continues now and is judged on protection ability only.
1999 saw the Golden Jubilee celebration of 50 years of the Mareeba Rodeo with the first Stud Beef Cattle Show held in conjunction with it. In 2002, two new events were added to the entertainment, the Interstate Teams Rodeo Challenge and Ute Muster, both of which were very popular.
In 2003 Queensland Rail held their Silver Spike Competition at the Rodeo and 2007 saw the commencement of a traditional Agricultural Show at the Mareeba Rodeo with an amenities block built in the competitors camping area.
In 2015 a new Grandstand was built as a prototype, with plans to upgrade to new stands, lights and sound system. In 2016, Jim Blakeney retired as President after 32 years and was inducted into the Hall of Fame. The Ute Muster has been started again after a hiatus of 4 years.
In addition to the rodeo, the North Queensland Field Days have been running for the last 50 years and are back at Kerribee Park. The biggest agricultural event of the state’s north, spanning two days, the event sees upwards of 70,000 people through the gates.
In recent times, Kerribee Park has become very popular as a stop over point for travellers heading to the Cape or west and large numbers of caravans are a common sight at the grounds.
This cache is a quick park and grab on your way to see the region's various attractions. It is BYOP and too small for swaps and please keep a close eye on children close to the road. Happy caching!