SOME of the toughest battles for championships at the Warwick Rodeo APRA National Finals on October 24-27 will be in the cowgirl events.
Last year’s buckle winners are all competing this year, All Around winner Elyssa Kenny, Barrel Racing champion Jaimi Downing and Breakaway Roping winner Jorja Iker.
All three are from Central Queensland, Kenny and Downing live in the Emerald area and Iker is from Alton Downs.
Going in to this year’s finals in the Barrel Race, South Australian rider Candy Michaelis narrowly leads the standings from Downing.
South Australian rider Amanda Tielan is third in front of experienced New South Wales cowgirl Adele Edwards and past champion Wendy Caban.
Michaelis has the Australian record for fastest time in Breakaway Roping but it is in Barrel Racing where her championship buckle chances are this year.
In the Barrel Race, Moree (NSW) rider Wendy Caban won at Mt Isa from last year’s winner Downing.
Tielen was third in the Barrel Race and All Around winner at Mt Isa.
Being in fifth place on the standings means Caban has to make up some ground at the finals but no one in the field of 15 will be surprised if she wins the title.
Downing was second at the St Brendan’s Rodeo behind Leanne Caban, an Emerald rider who has also qualified for the National Finals.
In Breakaway Roping, past champion Cherie O’Donoghue from Lockington in Victoria is the leader in the standings from last year’s winner Iker, Brigalow (Qld) rider Jane Willoughby, Kenny and Warwick rider Kylie Hancock who is in the National Finals for the first time.
O’Donoghue was first at the richest rodeo in Australia at Mt Isa in August to take the lead in the Breakaway Roping standings. She won the Breakaway Roping at the K Ranch Rodeo in New South Wales in September with a time of 2.9 seconds so is in peak form.
Hancock could be one to watch at the National Finals in her hometown after she was third at the St Brendan’s, Yeppoon Rodeo in September.
There will be four nights of National Finals action at the Warwick Rodeo on October 24-27.
The first night of action on the Wednesday will be free for spectators.
There will be Second Division and Junior finals on October 28, the last day of the Warwick Rodeo.
