THE bulls from the Darren Brandenburg string have the chance to go riderless for a second week running when the Australian Professional Rodeo Association rides into Richmond for the third rodeo on its northern run on Saturday, July 25.
None of the cowboys at the Taroom Rodeo last weekend made time in the open bull ride.
The Richmond Rodeo on Saturday is the first of three rodeos in North Queensland in the next three weekends.
Richmond will be followed by two of the three big rodeos in the APRA at Cloncurry on July 31-August 1 and the Mt Isa Mines Rotary Rodeo on August 7-9.
Beaudesert rider Fraser Babbington has the record for the highest bull ride score in the APRA and has drawn Dirty Deeds at Richmond.
He will face some of his toughest opposition from Northern Territory rider Darcy McBean who won the open bull ride at Emerald a fortnight ago.
Two of the best riders in the nation will contest the cowgirl events at Richmond, Table Top (NSW) star Stephanie Gard and Cherie O’Donoghue from Lockington in Victoria.
Gard won the barrel race at Taroom after winning the past two breakaway roping titles in the APRA.
O’Donoghue has won more titles than any other woman in APRA history.
Team roping will be hotly contested by a field including NSW cowboy Bob Holder, one of the first Australians to compete successfully in the United States.
At the Taroom Rodeo last Saturday, the highest profile event was the Richard Smith Memorial Team Roping which was won by NSW pair Troy Caban and Luke Taylor.
The Australian Rodeo Heritage Centre came alive in Warwick on Friday with the first rodeo for APRA circuit points at the centre. Haden rider Matt Boland was the winner of the open bull ride but it was Frank Biddle bulls which won second-division as none of the cowboys made time.
Taroom open winners: Saddle bronc Greg Hamilton; bull ride – no scores; bareback bronc ride Jack Kidd; rope and tie Shane Kenny; steer wrestling Ryan Inman; team roping Troy Caban and Luke Taylor; barrel race Stephanie Gard; breakaway roping Wendy Caban.
ARHC Rodeo Warwick winners: Open bull ride Matt Boland; second-division bull ride - no scores; junior bull ride Dion Doro; junior steer ride Zane Hall; poddy ride Lane Strucknell.
APRA RODEO PROGRAM
July 25 Richmond; July 31-August 1 Cloncurry Merry Muster Rodeo; August 7-9 Mt Isa Rotary Rodeo; August 15 Katherine, August 22 Darwin; September 12 Pussycat Flats Rodeo, NT.
