Riders to watch
THE northern run in the Australian Professional Rodeo Association will continue with the Taroom and Richmond rodeos on July 28.
The first rodeo on the run was at Emerald in late June.
Cowboys at the Taroom Rodeo on July 28 will have to master some of the best stock in the nation from contractors Darren Brandenburg and Garry McPhee.
Two of the favourites for Taroom will be cowboys from nearby Wandoan, Cameron Webster and David Worsfold.
Webster currently leads APRA standings in saddle bronc from New South Wales trio Tim Hammond, Tom Kerr and Brad Pierce.
Worsfold has won APRA bareback titles and goes into the Taroom Rodeo in third place in bareback standings behind New South Wales rider Ben Hall and Victorian competitor Cody Tyrrell.
In the bull ride, New South Wales rider and past national champion Jason O’Hearn leads the standings from Kyle Maskiell from Tasmania and Queensland rider Troy Berry.
There will be a feature event for the ladies breakaway roping with increased prizemoney at Taroom.
Alton Downs rider Jorja Iker leads the breakaway roping standings from Lockington rider and past national champion Cherie O’Donoghue.
The Golden Run Rural Richmond Rodeo is on July 28 which means riders will have to choose between Taroom and Richmond rodeos.
Brandenburg and Destiny Cattle Company are the contractors for Richmond.
Many of the timed event riders who compete at Taroom and Richmond will head to Hughenden on July 29 for the Hughenden Flinders River Roping Timed Event Rodeo.
The steer wrestling could be one of the closest events at Richmond with current leader Ryley Gibb, of Charters Towers, one of the favourites.
The Cloncurry Merry Muster Rodeo rates with Mt Isa and Warwick as the three highest profile rodeos in the APRA.
The Merry Muster is on August 3-4. There will be a junior rodeo and the Cloncurry Xtreme Bulls on the Friday, so fans will see plenty of action.
Many of the riders who head north to rodeo at Cloncurry will head further west for the Mt Isa Mines Rotary Rodeo on August 9-12.
The rodeo will be the 60th in Mt Isa and Brandenburg is the stock contractor.
Some second division and timed events will be held on the Thursday night with open action from Friday at the Buchanan Park Events Complex.