FORMER Kalbar rider Lee Kimber is in sixth place in Australian Professional Rodeo Association standings and has the chance this weekend to win at Wilmington in South Australia.
He started the year in sixth place on APRA standings and is set to move closer to leader Kacey Kenny, of Emerald (Queensland), after his steer wrestling success over the holiday period.
Kimber now lives at Lockington in Victoria and will be one of the favourites in timed events at Wilmington (SA) on Saturday, January 24, after winning a double at Carrieton (SA) during the Christmas Run.
He won the steer wrestling and rope and tie at Carrieton and backed up to win the steer wrestling at Tumbarumba in NSW. While equally adept at all three timed events, Kimber is performing best in steer wrestling.
The only two APRA rodeos this weekend are in Tasmania and South Australia and few Queenslanders are making the trek south, which means a lot of the Queensland hopes rest with a cowboy who started his success while living at Kalbar.
Three brothers – David and Leslie Stacey , and Glen Kent – will be the riders to beat in the saddle bronc at Wilmington on Saturday.
David Stacey scored 80 to win the saddle bronc at Carrieton from Kent on 78 and Leslie Stacey on 77.
Two of the riders to watch in the barrel race will be South Australian star Renee Pearson and Cherie O’Donoghue, who will make the trek from Lockington (Victoria).
Luke Hamilton, of Stowport, Tasmania, was one of the riders to win two events on the Christmas Run in South Australia, Victoria and NSW.
He is one of 90 nominations for the Harveydale Rodeo in Tasmania on Australia Day Monday.
Hamilton won the steer wrestling at Yarrawonga (Victoria) in a time of 4.4 seconds and the rope and tie at the 70th anniversary rodeo at Tumbarumba in 10.2 seconds.
Hamilton won the team roping at the Carrick Rodeo in Tasmania earlier this month in combination with Gary King and is the highest placed Tasmanian in APRA standings.
Both the Harveydale and Wilmington rodeos are for championship points in the APRA.
The next Queensland rodeo will be the Millmerran Show Rodeo on February 28.
APRA PROGRAM:
- January rodeos: January 17 Ulverstone (Tas); January 24 Wilmington (SA); January 26 Harveydale (Tas).
- February rodeos: February 7 Peterborough (SA); February 7 Wagga Wagga (NSW); February 14 Ballarat (Vic); February 14 Ross (Tas); February 14 Hay (NSW); February 21 Narrandera (NSW); February 21 Whittlesea (Vic); February 28 Sale (Vic); February 28 Millmerran Show Rodeo; February 28 Powrana Bull Ride and Rodeo (Tas).
- March rodeos: March 6 Kyabram (Vic); March 7 Merrijig (Vic); March 7 Gowrie Park (Tas); March 8 Chiltern (Vic); March 14 Clare (SA); March 21 Comet (Qld).