AusLeisure

The weekend’s Deni Ute Muster, held on Friday 29th and Saturday 30th September, saw over 15,500 people converge on Deniliquin in southern NSW for two days of family entertainment and ute focused activities together with a who’s who of Australian country music.

A celebration of contemporary Australian rural life, the Deni Ute Muster features not only music but an array of Australian events including wood chopping and whip cracking demonstrations, Coates Hire Show 'n Shine, Noah's Thoroughbred Racing Pigs, the Bull Ride Spectacular, the Brophy Bros Circus, Matt Falloon and His Trained Balloons, Matt Mingay and Madzy Evel’s Off Road Show, the Reptile Awareness Display, camel rides and Circlework, Barrel Race and Go to Wo competitions all on the entertainment menu.

Rained off last year, the event’s Ute Count was back this year with 6,313 Utes confirmed on site.

The music got under way on Friday with Jetty Road and Hurricane Fall followed by one of Australia’s most loved singer-songwriters, Sara Storer. The Davidson Brothers, one of Australia’s hottest bluegrass acts, were up next followed by Beccy Cole and her band playing all of her hits, interspersed with her trademark cheeky repartee with the crowd.

James Blundell and Brewn took the stage before the man in the black hat, Lee Kernaghan, closed out Friday night with an almost two hour set that had the whole arena singing along.

Saturday afternoon saw the arena filled yellow and black and red, gold and navy to watch the AFL Grand Final and, after the game, the music once again began as the sun set with the Adam Eckersley Band and rising country star Caitlyn Shadbolt before The McClymonts set the stage alight.

Drew McAlister and crowd favourite, Shannon Noll, were up next before The Wolfe Brothers closed the weekend with a bang.

This year’s Tradie Challenge was won by Melbourne’s Brad Rossetto and Paul Riley taking out first prize and a cool, $1,000 cash for their clock.

The world record blue singlet attempt fell short, but still impressive, with 1,941 musterers of all ages gathered for the count. The GME Australian National Circle Work Championships saw Stanhope’s Zac Turner take first prize in his 2004 Ford Falcon XR8 with New South Welshmen Ryan White and Robert Welch taking second and third prizes.

The Go to Wo was won by Benjamin Gehan from Stawell in Victoria with Karlia Woods from Dungog in NSW coming in 2nd. 1st and 2nd places in the Barrel Race were taken by Bob Waldner from Lavington in NSW and Josh Turnbull from Wedderburn respectively. The Coates Hire Show ‘n Shine Ute of the Year, and the $4,000 prize money, was awarded to Darryl Miles from Gledswood Hills in NSW for his 1978 Holden HZ 1 Tonner.

First held in 1999, as the Deni Play on the Plains Festival, the attendance of a large number of Utes, saw the Riverina town lay claim to the title of ‘Ute Capital of the World’ after that first event.

Today, the event annually celebrates all things laconically Australian and the icon of the Ute. The Festival has remarkable community support with more than 1,000 volunteers mobilising each year to help put on the event – helping out with everything from wrist-banding and merchandise selling to litter collection and traffic control.

The event also generates money for community groups, who are paid for their services at the event, or operate catering sites as their major fundraiser for the year to continue to develop their club facilities.

The Festival is a major supporter of Deniliquin’s businesses, and more than $1 million is spent in businesses or employing contractors to put on the event each year.

Commenting on the event, Deni Ute Muster General Manager Vicky Lowry, stated “before we knew it our 19th year of celebrating the Deni Ute Muster was over.

“Each year memories are created, for me 2017 was the year that the crowd both young and old dressed in their blue singlets at front of main stage joined in true Aussie spirit singing Waltzing Matilda and Advance Australia Fair.

“To our loyal and new Muster patrons, thank you for making this another successful year.”

The 2017 Deni Ute Muster was supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.

The event will return in 2018 for its 20th year.

For more information go to www.deniutemuster.com.au 

Images of the Deni Ute Muster 2017 courtesy of The Art of Zowie Photography.

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