The 81-year-old stock contractor hails from a long line of rodeo performers, and has fond memories of riding in a rodeo at the old Wollongong showground in 1955.

He's back in town, with his finest champion rodeo bulls, for Saturday's Rodeo 4 Life at WIN Entertainment Centre - built next to the site of the old showground.

"The stock are educated from the time they're born," he said. "We intentionally hand feed rodeo stock from calves, so they're familiar with us.

"A couple of months back I was on a trailer getting the hay out when one calf kept pushing to the front. I pushed him back at one stage and he took two steps back, looked at me and started pawing the ground - he was only six weeks old!

"Some bulls are born for rodeo."

Country and western singer Tex Morton gave Mr Gill his moniker 'Happy' at a rodeo when he was just seven years old. And he's still happiest when he's among the mud, sweat and tears of a rodeo.

"Rodeo is man against beast in the right and proper form," he said.

"When the chute gate opens, it's only you and that horse and that bull. You can't get off halfway through the ride - you've got to ride the full eight seconds."

Mr Gill said the standard of riders and bulls in Saturday night's show was "world class". And for anyone concerned about animal cruelty, he assured them his cattle were treated like family.

"Every bull born on our property at The Rock (at Wagga Wagga) is loved and nurtured," he said.

"They're more than a herd, they're family. When a bull finishes bucking, they live on the property, and when they die they're buried in a grave."

All proceeds from Rodeo 4 Life will fund vital research at the RPA Transplant Institute.

That includes their work using state-of-the-art technologies - known as organ machine perfusion - to keep organs suitable for transplant for several days, rather than several hours. That will increase the number of organs that can be transplanted.

It's something show producer, and transplant recipient, Doug Vickers is passionate about. And it's a cause that the event's host - well-known film and television actor John Jarratt - is also happy to support.

Mr Jarratt, who grew up in Wongawilli, said another bonus was getting to come back to his hometown.

"I love the South Coast and love coming back down to visit family," he said. "And it's great there's now venues like the entertainment centre where shows like this can be held.

"Horses and cattle, especially bulls, are magnificent creatures and seeing humans trying to tame them makes for quite a spectacle.

"As a teen I remember riding micky cows at rodeos in central Queensland - it was terrifying."

Five hundred tonnes of soil has helped transform the entertainment centre into a bull riding arena.

The show will also include a concert starring country music singers Travis Collins and Victoria McGee, who underwent a heart transplant just seven months ago.

Meantime the 25 bull riders from across Australia will compete for the championship title, and $30,000 in prize money.