COWBOYS SADDLE UP

BEST IN BULL RIDING TO TAME BEASTS

TROY Wilkinson graduated from riding sheep and tin barrels to bulls at 11-years-old.

Tonight, the reigning PBR Australia champion takes on a host of big-name internationals, including Mexican trio Francisco Garcia Torres, Jorge Valdiviezo and Alvaro Alvarez, along with American Matt Triplett at the Cairns Invitational at the Cairns Convention Centre.

Wilkinson (left) may be the highest profile Aussie in the field, but he will be joined by two local riders – Ravenshoe’s Rohan Markham-Gaudion and Michael Smith from Tully.

Legendary Australian bull rider Troy Dunn, Australia’s head coach, will train Wilkinson and the squad at a local property before setting off for Global Cup glory.

REIGNING PBR Australia champion Troy Wilkinson is embracing the pressure and expectations of tonight’s Cairns Invitational with the Global Cup on the horizon.

Wilkinson, from Upper Horton in Northern NSW, has his eyes set on the event at the Cairns Convention Centre, but can’t help but look forward to being a part of the prestigious Australian PBR Global Cup team, which will remain in the Far North before travelling south for the Global Cup next weekend in Sydney.

Billed as “The Ashes” of global bull riding, the Global Cup pits the world’s premier bullriding nations – Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United States of America – against each other in a showdown for the title of “Toughest Nation on Dirt”.

Before the Global Cup, the Cairns Invitational has attracted big-name Mexican riders including 20-year-old young gun Francisco Garcia Torres, the first ever Mexican rider to make the US PBR Built Ford Tough Series Jorge Valdiviezo and another of the nation’s top bull riders Alvaro Alvarez.

Valdiviezo, who is continuing his recovery from a shoulder injury that knocked him out of the PBR Global Cup opening leg in Canada last year, is also the second Mexican in history to compete in the PBR in the US.

Montana’s Matt Triplett will stack up alongside the Mexican contingent to fly the American flag in Cairns.

“Cairns is always a big event, everyone always wants to come to it,” Wilkinson said.

“This event is a great leadup for us Australians leading into the Global Cup team.

“We are going to see a lot of these bulls here in Cairns next weekend in Sydney.

“We are competing individually before we become a team.”

Wilkinson graduated from riding sheep and tin barrels to bulls at 11 years old and was a talented rugby union player before jumping on the beasts.

Legendary Australian bull rider Troy Dunn, who is Australia’s head coach, will train Wilkinson and the squad at a local property before setting off for Global Cup glory.

“You could liken the camp in Cairns to State of Origin camp,” PBR Australia general manager Glen Young said.

“It’s where all of our team will join together and train hard to work as a team for Global Cup success.”

Two Far North bull riders will strap up alongside some of the best in the country and the world tonight. Rohan Markham-Gaudion, 25, from Ravenshoe and Michael Smith, 21, from Tully have more than seven years of professional experience between them. editorial@cairnspost.com.au facebook.com/TheCairnsPost www.cairnspost.com.au twitter.com/TheCairnsPost