DAVID Worsfold and Mark Knox are the two national champions already leading event rankings in the new season in the Australian Professional Rodeo Association.
Worsfold hails from Wandoan and won the APRA title in the bareback bronc ride at the national finals in Warwick at the end of October.
He has a comfortable lead in the standings from Roma rider Jamie Howlett and Leongatha (Vic) star Ben Hall.
Cameron’s Corner (Qld) rider Fred Osman is fourth on the standings as riders aim to finish in the top-15 and qualify for next year’s national finals at the Warwick Rodeo.
Worsfold and Osman have dominated major events in the past four months.
They won a round each and were equal first in the aggregate at the Mt Isa Rodeo and then in the national finals in Warwick, Worsford and Osman won two rounds each.
Worsfold also recorded a third and fourth in the rounds in Warwick to easily win the average from Charters Towers rider Deon Lane.
The Wandoan rider won the title after Hall went into the four rounds of the national finals in Warwick with the most prize money in the 2015-2016 season.
Knox is a farrier from Ebenezer near Ipswich and won the rope and tie title at the national finals.
In the new season, he has a comfortable lead from Scone (NSW) rider Heath Nichols.
If consistency is what sport is all about, Knox was a deserving winner of the title in Warwick as he recorded a first, second, third and fourth in the four rounds. He won the average at the finals from Alton Downs rider Shane Iker and was ahead of Emerald rider Shane Kenny in the battle for the title.
Already this season, Knox is on top of the standings so is looking good to win his fifth title in the past 20 years when the best of the best again go head to head at the Warwick Rodeo in October.
The new APRA season started on May 1 so new season standings are starting to take shape and those at the top now only need some placings over the Christmas Run in the southern states to secure a spot for next year’s national finals.
The next APRA rodeo in Queensland is the Mt Isa New Year’s Eve Rodeo on December 31 at Buchanan Park for championship points.
Most of the APRA action in the holiday period will be in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania. The major focus of many riders from Queensland in the first two months of next year will be down south before the action in Queensland hots up in March.
The Millmerran Show Rodeo on March 4 will be the first APRA Rodeo in the sunshine state next year.
Rodeo program:
December 3 – Leppington Xtreme Bulls (NSW)
December 17 – Rosewood (NSW)
December 26 – Myrtleford Golden Spurs Rodeo (Vic)
December 30 – Carrieton (SA), Yarrawonga (Vic)
December 31 – Mt Isa New Year’s Eve Rodeo (Qld)
January 1 – Tumbarumba (NSW)
January 6 – Finley (NSW)
January 7 – Beechworth (Vic).
STANDINGS LEADERS: All around Shane Kenny (Emerald), saddle bronc Michael Maher (Warwick), bull ride Jared Borghero (Beaudesert); bareback David Worsfold (Wandoan); rope and tie Mark Knox (Ebenezer); steer wrestling Lachlan O’Neill (Caboolture); team roping header Shane Kenny (Emerald); team roping heeler Liam Davison (Charters Towers); all around cowgirl Leanne Caban (Emerald); barrel race Jo Caldwell (Murrurundi), breakaway roping Leanne Caban (Emerald).
