Limestone cowboy joins rodeo

1:00am Sunday 29th July 2007

A LIMESTONE cowboy who defied national park planners to open a western riding school plans to bring the thrills and spills of the rodeo to North Yorkshire.

Martin Kiss - better known as Django - fell foul of planning regulations when he opened his trekking centre at Thwaite, in Swaledale.

He moved out of his caravan at Skeb Skeugh Farm at the end of last year after being defeated by the planners.

Undeterred, he plans to bring a Wild West style rodeo to Richmond Equestrian Centre, at Tunstall, near Catterick, in September.

The two-day show in September will feature up to 50 horses and western horse riders from across the UK.

The riders will demonstrate the horseback skills of reining, cutting, pole bending, cattle penning and racing and visitors will have the chance to ride a mechanical bull and try line dancing.

The show will take place from 9am on September 8 and 9 and admission is free. There is country music and dancing on the Saturday evening, when admission is £5.

Details of the event are available from Django, tel 01748-886682, or on the Western Horsemen's Association of Great Britain website, www.wha-of-gb.org.uk