CENTRAL Queensland bull riders Sonny Schafferius and Ryan Storey will be two to watch in the annual Nebo Rodeo on Saturday.
Schafferius hails from Dysart and Storey is from Dingo, and they both finished in the top five in Australian Professional Rodeo Association standings for the season, which finished on April 30.
Both have the chance to take the standings lead with a win in the first rodeo of the new season. After being 11th in APRA bull-ride standings at the end of January, Schafferius improved his position to third by the end of the season.
Storey was third early in the year before finishing fifth behind Proserpine rider Roy Dunn, who was a runaway leader at the end of the season.
Nebo rider Jarrod Deguara has nominated for steer wrestling but will face tough opposition from a field including the Kenny brothers from Emerald and NSW rider Heath Nichols.
Kacey Kenny finished the season in third place in steer wrestling and older brother Shane was 11th.
Both finished in the top 15 so have qualified for the Warwick Rodeo Australian Championships at the Warwick Showgrounds on October 22-25.
Rodeos early in the new season will enable competitors to keep up their form.
One of the biggest events early in the new season will be the Junior National Finals Rodeo at Emerald on July 10-11.
The top 10 in each junior event will compete for title buckles at Emerald over a weekend; an open bull ride and open rodeo are also on the program.
Nebo Rodeo will start at 3pm at the undercover arena on Saturday, May 23.
