TUMBARUMBA (NSW) bareback rider Ben Hall easily won the bareback bronc pro tour buckle in the Australian Professional Rodeo Association this year but won’t get it all his own way in the Warwick Rodeo APRA National Finals on October 26-29.
The top 15 riders in all eight championship events in the APRA will do battle in the national finals at the Warwick Showgrounds.
There are rounds on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and the Sunday afternoon on October 26-29 in Warwick.
Hall doesn’t go into the national finals as the form rider after a fourth at Cloncurry and a sixth in the aggregate in the richest rodeo in Australia in Mt Isa in August but during the year he was a clear winner of the most prizemoney and pro tour title.
At the national finals, he will come up against Wandoan cowboy David Worsfold who won his hometown rodeo at Taroom in July and was fifth at Mt Isa.
Worsfold has won the bareback title for the past two years at the national finals in Warwick and was second in the pro tour so is one of the favourites again.
Fred Osman hails from Cameron’s Corner and won three of the four rounds at the 2014 national finals to win his first title.
Due to living so far from most of the rodeos, Osman only contests the major rodeos and will go into the national finals with a first and second in the rounds and first in the aggregate at Mt Isa in August. His score of 84.5 to win round 2 was the only score in the 80s in the two rounds at Mt Isa in 2017.
Brock Mulhall from Marrar, NSW, is fourth in the standings and will be a strong chance in the bareback at the national finals in Warwick after being second in the Cloncurry Muster this year and winning round 1 of Mt Isa.
Queensland rider Deon Lane goes into the national finals in fifth place after winning at Richmond and Cloncurry during the recent Northern Run with scores above 80.
The format for the finals is designed to give every rider a chance to win the title but the advantage is with the pro tour leaders who take the most points into the finals battle.
The best bucking stock in the nation will be brought to Warwick for the finals of the saddle bronc, bareback and bull rides.
As well as the four rounds of the national finals, there will be second division and junior events at the Warwick Rodeo each day before the national finals rounds.
Rounds of the Warwick Rodeo APRA National Finals start at 6pm Thursday, October 26, 6pm on Friday, 6pm Saturday and 2pm Sunday.
Tickets on sale at the gate and www.warwickshowandrodeo.com.au
