End the year at the rodeo
TWO rodeos will be held on New Year’s Eve in Queensland for the Australian Professional Rodeo Association.
There will be a full championship points rodeo at Mitchell on December 31 and an Xtreme Bull Ride in Rockhampton on the same night.
Some of the Queensland riders will head to Myrtleford in Victoria on December 26 for the first of nine rodeos in the APRA as part of the Christmas Run.
There will be a rodeo at Carrieton in South Australia on December 29 and then at Tumbarumba in New South Wales on January 1.
Some riders will head to Queensland or Tasmania during the two-day break in the Christmas Run.
The Smithton Rodeo and Stockman’s Challenge is on December 30–31 in Tasmania.
Some of the riders set to compete at Mitchell on December 31 include saddle bronc star Cameron Webster and bareback bronc rider David Worsfold. Both riders hail from Wandoan in Queensland.
Webster’s toughest competition could come from Mitchell rider Greg Hamilton, who is always tough to beat at home.
Teneille Angland of Springsure in Queensland won the first round of the barrel race at the national finals this year and will be hard to beat at Mitchell, along with her husband and star saddle bronc rider Cody Angland.
One of the best breakaway ropers in the Western Downs and Maranoa region is Jane Willoughby from Brigalow. She was placed in the national finals rodeo in Warwick.
The Xtreme Bulls event at the Great Western Hotel, Rockhampton, is on December 31 and will bring together the best bull riders in Queensland.
Central Queensland rider Brady Fielder won the APRA bull riding title in October after being the only rider to make time on two bulls in the four rounds of the national finals in Warwick.
Fielder almost made it three scoring rides from four rounds in Warwick when he was chucked off after 7.9 seconds, 0.1 of a second from a scoring ride.
New South Wales stock contractors Eddie and Malcolm Green, from Gill Bros Rodeo, will provide the bucking stock for both the Mitchell and Rockhampton rodeos.
Shane and Leanne Kenny from Emerald, who operate Destiny Downs Cattle Company, will contract all the stock for the timed events at Mitchell.
Many Queensland riders will compete at both Mitchell and on the Christmas Run to boost their chances of finishing in the top 15 at the end of the season, which means qualification for next year’s national finals.
After the December 31 rodeos in Queensland, the next rodeo in the Sunshine State is on March 30 at Clermont.
For more information visit www.prorodeo.com.au.