22/09/2024
George Hempenstall was farewelled in front of a large crowd at Canberra on Friday by family and his dearest friends.
His cowboy hat and boots sat on top of his coffin representing his legendary cowboy life.
George left behind an incredible legacy, first and foremost a wonderful dad to his three children and grandchild.
But it was his devotion to the sport of bull riding that led George on a path that only few could dream of which included the purchase of a young bull calf called Chainsaw.
Growing up at Castlereagh, Sydney NSW, a young George would practice riding bulls with his mates.
Through his close friendship with Yass identity Pat Condon, George would get to borrow some of Condon's young bulls so they could practice on.
But George was eager to buy some of his own bulls.
So, on the nineteenth of May 1983, George and Pat Condon would go to the Homebush Saleyards to check out some young bulls. They purchased two bulls. One each.
When local agent Norm Gavin went to drop the bulls off at the Hempenstall property later that evening, George noticed there was 3 bulls. George asked Gavin what he was doing with the other cream colored brahman cross bull calf?
Gavin told him that for $180 the young calf could be his. Tight for cash George hummed and harred and in the end decided to buy him.
That young calf that nobody appeared to really want would go on to become the most notorious and well-known bull in Australian history.
The 8-time Australian bucking bull of the year that would become affectionately known as Chainsaw.
His famous ear tag number 327 was the Hempenstall's letterbox number.
Chainsaw was a hot-headed young bull. Throwing riders off at will. George knew that the young bull had a lot of potential but then so did a young George who was wanting to further his own bull riding career and a move to the United States to compete against the best was inevitable.
Needing money to chase his dreams George would sell the bull to John Condon, Pat's son, from Yass.
Condon, also realizing the potential of the young bull contacted Australian rodeo champion and contractor Garry McPhee to handle the bull and give him the best opportunity to succeed. And as they say the rest is history.
Hempenstall would later relocate to Yass and breed some of the best young bulls in the country along with his brother Dick (dec), supplying bulls to the PBR and APRA.
George will always be remembered as a gentleman. A bloke with a massive grin and a kind heart.
He loved his mates and his mates loved him.
Keep breeding them high up in the sky George and give Chainsaw a pat on the head from all of us.
R.I.P Cowboy.
Written by Brent Langley
Photo: PBR Australia
