Merv Rose, 72, and Rocky Hudson, 61, had an “unbelievable” time at the celebration which drew more than 170 former and current riders along with their families.

“Everything went to plan, but there was a fair bit of bulls*** going on, we didn’t have enough shovels,” Hudson said with a laugh.

“The good thing was when we all went into the hall they gave us name tags.

“You’re going back to the 70s and 80s and we had not seen these fellas since then.

“It was brilliant, the best weekend I have had in years.”

The pair were not the oldest there, Rose quipping they were in the next era below folks such as Reg Willoughby, 86, and former president Arthur Benson, 96.

“There were about five of us in the next era, in their 60s or 70s,” Rose said.

The old Southern Districts circuit, which is now part of Australian Bushman’s Campdraft and Rodeo Association, included towns such as Bungendore, Goulburn, Yass, Braidwood, Taralga. Wee Jasper, Gunning, Dubbo, Bombala, Jindabyne, Picton and Hudson rode some finales in Batemans Bay during the 1980s.

Rose, who first rode a bareback horse at Moruya Show in 1967, would drive his HR Holden with his ex-wife, dog and pony in the one-horse float to competitions across the southern zone, despite his ex-wife saying’ what’s the use, you’re going to fall off’.

“I’d fall off, but I kept at and at it,” he said with a laugh.

Rose tasted success, taking out the 1973/74 and 1974/75 champion cowboy, as well as the 1975 individual saddle rider and champion bullrider, before claiming his last major trophy, the champion bulldogger in 1976.

He was forced to sit out for year after a third of his stomach was taken out at Goulburn hospital.

“They said ‘don’t even think about going near a horse for 12 months’, and then you get unfit and you don’t go back,” he said.

Hudson won his first event at 12 in Murwillumbah and began training at practice arena near Bergalia.

“Donny Afflick would be at the cattle sale nearly every day of the week and if he took a liking to a bull he’d buy it,” Hudson said. 

“Don would ring up and say ‘you better come out on the weekend, boy, we have a half-a-dozen bulls we have to try. 

“We named one Don and I rode him at Batemans Bay. 

“I ended up winning probably four rides on him. He suited me, he was a lovely bull.

“My favourite one I ever rode.”

Hudson was second to Rose in champion bullrider, second in 78 for the season was beaten by half a point in Batemans Bay in 1981 for the season title before retiring in “early 84 or 85”.

“We put our bodies through a fair bit though, (retired with) no injuries, touch wood,” Hudson said.

Rose’s favourite ride was a horse called Socks and said it “suited him”.