Time to go down that hessian lined memory lane.
Let's see how the 'old fella's' did it back in the day... RFTTE member Corin Linch posted some fantastic shots and video of his time circa 1977 on Moola Bulla Station near Halls Creek in the Kimberley - no crushes there; branding and marking was done on a timber Bronco Panel. You won't see it done much on cattle stations these days, though the Bronco branding tradition has been kept alive in competitions in Alice Springs and Oodnadatta.
Derived from the traditional way cattle were branded, the sport involves a catcher roping a calf in a mob of cattle and leading it to a branding ramp where team members secure and mark the calf.
Although seldom used on cattle stations anymore, for seasoned competitors like David Hunter, the event brings back many fond childhood memories working at the stock camp at Anna Creek Station...
"Back in the old days we used to do over a 1000 calves in a week, we branded around 12,000 a year down there," David Hunter says
"It was almost phased right out, then RM Williams put up some money and they started a competition in Alice Springs, the first one being in 1984...
The century old bush tradition of bronco branding is being kept alive by stockmen and women in the outback town of Oodnadatta in SA.
"A team from Oodnadatta won it and we've kept it going because of tradition."
From ABC Rural: Courtney Fowler story: The lost art of bronco branding: How Oodnadatta is keeping tradition alive in outback South Australia and Katrina Beavan's story: Bronco branding returns to Alice Springs for national championships
Here is an excellent poem by Corin Linch that sums up Bronco Branding with rare footage (see youtube video below)...
FOR ‘CHIP-CHIP’ A MATE
No more the bronco harness, or the collar and the hames,
Now we have a cradle and a crush, nothing stays the same.
What are these monstrosities, where once a bronco panel stood?
Railway line and pipe, is nothing made of wood?
We had twisted wire cables, big snappy gum posts,
Oh so many memories, oh so many ghosts.
At Sheppards the bronco panel's busted and almost fallen down,
You'd never know it used to see, a thousand calves a round.
At Hughie Spring on the black soil plain where you couldn't see for dust,
The bronco yard has gone and the new one's, full of rust.
And often when we killed, you know we'd keep the hide
Cut out a strand, and twist a bronco rope with pride.
But where once we'd use a green hide rope, a welder's all you need.
The old days have all gone, and it's nothing to do with speed.
We'd do better than a calf a minute, with good men on the rope,
Brand, ear-mark, castrate, dehorn and never let ‘em choke,
Leg ropes front and back up against the panel tight,
Slack the call, pull 'em down, come on do it bloody right.
It was great in the early morning to see them branding irons glow,
Burnt into the hides forever, was the mighty ONE TEE OH.
Calves, bulls, mickeys and even cleanskin cows.
The old ways are all gone, look how they do it now.
I don't deny they get the job done, I don't deny they raise a sweat,
But of bronco panels and green hide ropes, old ringers dream I bet.
Pedro and old Alan, Chip-Chip the mighty mule,
Gee she'd pull her heart out, it was almost cruel.
The Rat, Toby, Euclid, Clancy and many more,
Chip-Chip was the best, though some call her a whore.
I've seen her snap a bronco rope, I've seen her on her knees,
I guess by now she's dead, but Lord I ask you please,
All those bronco horses, those titans of the past,
Give them green pasture, for they've earned peace at last.
Today they're branding calves with crush, cradle and all the rest,
I'm not real happy, for I remember ways I thought were best.
They say I'm yesterday's man, born a hundred years too late,
But the fact I've lived the past was a simple twist of fate.
So no more the bronco harness or the collar and the hames,
Time waits for no man; I guess nothing stays the same.
© Corin Linch
Here's another great poem by Matt Mitchell who used to work with his uncle at Moola Bulla, both repairing Bronco panels/ yards and later on as a Station Hand...
THE BRONCO YARD
Here we are at the six mile Bore,
Building a yard, just a little chore, for it’s no big fandangle draft, never mind,
But one of the old vanishing kind.
If you look, you’ll see no calf cradle here, no separate pen for cow, ox or steer,
no head bale or race, for these things are barred,
For the horse and the rope are the kings of this yard.
To watch at the panel a good team of men, is something you cannot describe with a pen.
If you weren’t at the start, when the season began.
A year in these yards will make you a man.
The big Bronco Horse is a site to behold, with proud head held high and a heart made of gold.
With harness stretched tight he awaits the command,
From the man on his back with the reins in his hand.
The command is given, the green hide rope taut, the mick in the loop has struggled and fought.
But the horse held his ground and to the panel he goes, leaving drag strips trailing the young nuggets toes.
The leg ropes flash, the head man is there, back horse and pull on the tail,
The mick hits the ground with a grunt of despair, the wind knocked out of his sails.
The lads are on him like flies to a pan, with ear marker, knife, de-Horner and brand.
The job is done quick and as clean as can be,
Let him up and he’s off, a bullock to be.
What a hard way to brand we used to say but we’d think back and be proud at the end of the day.
That’s 300 calves that wear the ear mark and brand,
put on their hides by a team,
“The Horse and the Man.”
Yes it’s a dying art this Broncoing game, and the more I ponder,
I think it’s a shame.
That the Horse and the Rope will go out together,
With this modernised rush they’ll be banished forever.
Well it’s nice to sit dreaming and writing some verse,
But it doesn’t pay bills I think with a curse,
So I’ll get all modern now, and rush all about.
Get this yard built and ready,
For next years bout.
Written By Matt Mitchell.
Whilst building a new Bronco Yard at the six mile bore on Moola Bulla station (sometime around the end of the 80’’s) as the old bronco yard there had seen better days.
IMAGES BELOW: Bronco Branding at Moola Bulla Station in the Kimberley WA, in the mid 1970's, all images by Corin Linch.
And here's some shots from the 'Bronco Branding SA' FB page showcasing teams at the Oodnadatta Bronco Branding event held in July 2024 - all images captured by Peter Rowe.
Tim Parry also checks in with some classic shots taken of Brunette Downs in the 1960's, as well as a trivia question about the 'ABC races'; as well as some yesteryear action shots on RFTTE Instagram.
PART OF THIS BLOG TAKEN FROM THE RFTTE Newsletter: HOOROO NEWS - Bronco Branding, Cleanskins, Jobs n'Jokes! (March 2019)
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