Australian bootmaker R.M.Williams has launched a formal partnership with the Australian Bushmen’s Campdraft & Rodeo Association (ABCRA).
According to the bootmaker, this strengthens a longstanding relationship between the two organisations that are deeply connected to regional Australia.
The partnership builds on more than 80 years of shared history, dating back to the early days of organised rodeo in Australia and brand founder Reginald Murray Williams’ involvement in the establishment of the Australian Rough Riders Association.
As part of the partnership, R.M.Williams will support ABCRA across its national event calendar, including the ABCRA National Finals Rodeo in Tamworth, which returns during the 2027 Tamworth Country Music Festival.
The National Finals Rodeo is ABCRA’s premier rodeo event, bringing competitors from across Australia to Tamworth each January.
The bootmaker’s head of heartland and heritage, Terry Goodear, said this partnership means more to the brand than a modern sponsorship.
“R.M.Williams himself helped found the Australian Rough Riders Association back in 1944 — he was there at the very beginning of organised rodeo in this country,” Goodear said.
“Eighty years on, to stand alongside ABCRA and the campdraft and rodeo community he helped build is a genuine full-circle moment for our brand. It's a reminder that the values we talk about — grit, craftsmanship, the bush — are embedded in where we came from.”
ABCRA CEO Chris Webb said the bootmaker holds a strong connection to the people and communities that make up the association’s sport.
“There’s a natural alignment between our organisations through our shared connection to the bush, regional Australia and the values that underpin our communities,” Webb said.
“This partnership is an exciting opportunity to celebrate those values while continuing to support and grow camp drafting and rodeo across Australia.”