Painting captures moment ringer wrangled a bullock to the ground in record time

Renowned Maleny artist Gary Myers has been commissioned to recreate a remarkable moment captured on film more than 100 years ago.

Buderim couple Grant and Sharon Ryan of RMG Global Trading wanted a statement piece for their home, drawing on the story behind the day Grant’s great-grandfather, Tom Lawton, won 500 pounds at the Brisbane Exhibition Grounds in Brisbane for throwing a bullock in 13.5 seconds. 

A newspaper article from the time reports that a Professor Bates came to Australia in August 1913 and issued an open challenge to any Australian who could “throw and tie a bullock in the best time that he could”. 

When Tom read of this challenge in the newspaper he reportedly said to his wife: “I am a married man with nine children, this is a lot of money. I am going to Brisbane and I think I can beat this bloke”.

The cattleman from Juandah Station near Wandoan then put his horse Rattler and himself on the train in Miles bound for Brisbane.

Tom used his method of throwing, “which was by the tail and using the American style of using ropes” to win the bet.

“On August 13, 1913, at the Brisbane Exhibition Grounds before a very big crowd Tom threw his Bullock in 13.5 seconds. Prof Bates took 42 seconds! So Tom returned to Juandah 500 Pounds better off,” the article reads.

Apparently the technique involved the ringer using his horse to first knock the bull off its feet. He would leap off his horse, grab the bull by the tail and when it turned on him, it would be off balance. In that spilt second the ringer twisted its tail and the bull fell to the ground. A rope was then used to secure the legs.

Gary said he was delighted to bring the incredible feat to life in the painting. “It was such a great story to recreate, a fantastic subject to work with and a pleasure to recreate such an iconic moment for the Ryans,” he said.

Grant said the oil painting about his famous forebear would take pride of place in his family home in Buderim.

“Tom was quite the adventurer,” he said. “At one time he drove the Cobb & Co coach on the Surat-Yuelba Road. 

“In 1955, at 84 he still enjoyed getting on a horse and doing a day’s cattle mustering. And at that time he still held the unofficial record for tying a scrubber in the fastest time.”

Grant and Sharon Ryan and Gary Myers with the artwork. Grant is the great-grandson of the Tom Lawton, who is the subject of the oil painting.

The painting recreates a photo of Tom Lawton twisting the bull's tail to bring it to the ground in just 13.5 seconds.