2021 Queanbeyan Rodeo cancelled amid COVID-19 concerns

It is only the second time in the 20 years that the rodeo has been running that the committee has been forced to cancel, in a decision which was made with "deep regret" according to a Facebook post.

"This is only the second time in the 20 years that the Rodeo has been running that we have had to cancel," the committee said.

"The first time was in 2012 with the outbreak of the Equine Flu and now due to COVID-19 and the associated risks and uncertainty."

The decision was delayed for "as long as possible" while the committee held out hope that the event would still go ahead, however as a number of other rodeos in the region were called off, the writing on the wall became clear.

"The Queanbeyan Rodeo Committee has delayed the decision for as long as possible in the hopes that the Rodeo might still go ahead," the committee said.

"While there is a slim chance that a vaccine might be found and available soon or the COVID-19 restrictions might be relaxed, the Committee has had to make the difficult decision based on the current circumstances and the safety and well being of the competitors and the general public."

The committee pledged to continue working towards an event in 2022, and thanked its sponsors and volunteers for their work.

The cancellation of the Queanbeyan event follows a similar announcement by the Goulburn Rodeo Club in November that it would not run its 2021 event due to COVID-19 concerns.

Similarly, the Bungendore Rodeo was also called off in September, and most other rodeo events in the region are now looking towards 2022.

Did you know the Goulburn Post is now offering breaking news alerts and a weekly email newsletter? Keep up-to-date with all the local news: sign up here.