The trophy was accepted by the Mount Isa Rotary Rodeo Inc (MIRRI) Chairman Mr Darren Campi and Isa Rodeo manager Ms Natalie Flecker at a black tie ceremony held at the Brisbane Convention & Entertainment Centre last Friday night (November 11). The Silver Award was won by the Broadbeach Country Music Festival and Bronze by the Noosa Food & Wine Festival.

The Isa Rodeo will now contest the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards to be held in Darwin on February 24, 2017.

Adels Grove Camping Park won a bronze in the Hosted Accommodation category, while another Outback attraction, the Australian Age of Dinosaurs (AAOD) took out the coveted Major Tourism Attraction award.

The rodeo, which is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, won Silver in the same category at the 2014 QTA. Accepting the award, Ms Flecker paid tribute to the event’s naming rights and gold level sponsor, Mount Isa Mines, all other sponsors, the Board, the two Rotary Clubs of Mount Isa, the local community and more than 600 volunteers for their valued contribution to the rodeo’s ongoing success.

“It’s very exciting for the rodeo to have won this prestigious gold award,” said Ms Flecker. “We work very hard as a team to continually improve the event and this award is an important recognition of our success in growing the event.

“At the same time, we will never lose sight of the importance of our local community and our contribution to our community.

“An incredible amount of work is put in by hundreds of people behind the scenes to stage an event this size and stature in a remote location. We are incredibly grateful for the loyalty and support our sponsors, the Board, Rotary and our wonderful volunteers have shown, in most cases over many years.”

The 2014 event was a finalist in the Australian Tourism Awards while the 2009 event was voted 13th in the Events and Festivals category of Queensland’s favourite Q150 awards.

The 2017 rodeo will be held from August 11 to 13, 2017.

For more information visit www.isarodeo.com.au or phone (07) 4743 2706. Follow us on www.facebook.com/isarodeo ; www.twitter.com/isarodeo and www.youtube.com/mountisarotaryrodeo For accommodation and holiday ideas visit http://www.queenslandholidays.com.au/destinations/outback/