Eileen Ostwald wins steer wrestling at Robbie Robbins Reserve rodeo

A woman made history at the Robbie Robbins Reserve when she became the first in the country to win one of the most challenging rodeo events. This competition was held at the reserve.

At the weekend's Robbie Robbins Reserve Steer Wrestling competition, a long-time cowgirl made history by becoming the first woman in the country to win.

Eileen Ostwald proved herself in front of almost 3,000 spectators by catching and tackling her steer before the other two competitors in the field.

In the rodeo sport known as "steer wrestling," a rider jumps off his horse and grapples with a steer until the animal falls to the ground by gripping its horns.

The winner of a steer wrestling match is determined by how long it takes the competitor to pin down the steer.

Ms. Ostwald, also known as Leeny, traveled all the way from Germany to Australia as a backpacker when she first arrived in the country. She went on to become Australia's first female steer wrestler approximately ten years ago after meeting her future husband, Johno Ostwald.

She has been active in the industry for a considerable amount of time and has been across the country. At one point, she competed in 17 rodeos in a row over the course of many weeks, which allowed her to set her best time at a very respectable 5.6 seconds.

This past weekend, in a field of only three, she created history once again by being the first woman to win at Robbie Robbins Reserve.

It was a weird occasion for the cowgirl, who dedicated the victory to a dear friend who had passed away a month earlier.

"I got lucky and caught my steer and got off really well and then pulled down," Ms. Ostwald explained.

Initially, "I lost my feet and walked with the steer; then, "I sort of had to move backward a little bit; then, "I just thought I would give it a crack and threw it on the ground to get a time.

"It's weird because my friend passed away a month ago, but I know she would have been proud of me for that and is up there watching over me."

She now only needs to finish in the money on August 19 to win the entire series thanks to her victory over the weekend.

She is especially pleased with the chance she has had to inspire young women to enter the rodeo world by demonstrating that they can participate successfully.

She remarked that the good cowgirls and cowboys present made the experience of participating in and competing in the rodeo that much more enjoyable.

I'm very interested in attracting new spectators to the sport and letting them know that they are welcome to participate regardless of their gender.

"It's all about taking that first step; if you give it your all, have some fun, and learn from the right people, you can accomplish a lot."