DistantNews
Support us
🇦🇺 Australia /Culture & Society

Young NT cattle ringers conquer outback obstacle course

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Two young cattle workers, Ava Byrne and Tom Savage, won the annual Battle of the Barkly obstacle course competition.
  • The event, part of the 116-year-old Brunette Races, simulates the daily tasks of a station ringer.
  • Competitors navigated challenges like a greasy pole and fence jump, with winners also sculling a beer.

Ava Byrne and Tom Savage have been crowned champions of the Battle of the Barkly, an unconventional obstacle course competition that mirrors the demanding life of a cattle station ringer. The event, held as part of the historic Brunette Races, saw participants tackle challenges designed to replicate the daily grind of their profession.

I'm representing the Tablelands, it's a fun experience, and I really want to do it again.

— Ava ByrneMs Byrne works on the nearby Alroy Downs pastoral lease and spoke about her participation in the competition.

Byrne, who works at Alroy Downs, expressed her enthusiasm for the competition, stating, "I'm representing the Tablelands, it's a fun experience, and I really want to do it again." Savage, the men's division winner from Ipswich, noted the course's accuracy in depicting a ringer's life. "It's definitely pretty similar, but on the real job there's cows and we're also not sculling beer in the morning, or at night," he remarked.

It's definitely pretty similar, but on the real job there's cows and we're also not sculling beer in the morning, or at night.

— Tom SavageWinner of the men's Battle of the Barkly, Tom Savage, commented on the accuracy of the obstacle course in representing a ringer's daily life.

Despite acknowledging that being a ringer "takes a toll" on both body and mind, Savage emphasized the unparalleled satisfaction derived from working with cattle at Anthony Lagoon station. He declared, "Being a ringer is heaps more fun than the obstacle course, that's for sure." The Battle of the Barkly is a long-standing tradition, continuing a 116-year legacy as a significant community and social gathering for those in the Northern Territory's cattle industry.

Being a ringer is heaps more fun than the obstacle course, that's for sure.

— Tom SavageSavage shared his perspective on the satisfaction of his job working with cattle on Anthony Lagoon station compared to the competition.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog