Get set Queensland, there's a brand new rodeo series coming your way!
From the people behind the iconic Mount Isa Mines Rodeo, comes Road to Rodeo - An Isa Rodeo Experience.
Featuring all the signature ingredients of the iconic Mount Isa event - from Australia's best rodeo athletes and livestock, to live rodeo rock - the event series will further elevate the popularity of regional events and experiences, and the increasingly popular sport of professional rodeo.
"To be able to affiliate and support the return of professional rodeo in Longreach after all these years is a big achievement - and an exciting one for the sport," APRA chairman Shane Iker said.
"The Mount Isa team are working hard to build on their event's popularity and create further opportunities to engage fans and build on the growing interest in rodeo."
Labelled as one of the most electrifying events in the country, the Mount Isa Mines Rodeo is on the bucket list of all rodeo competitors.
Now, it's time to take this experience state-wide and develop, champion, and share it across Queensland.
Road to Rodeo is about ensuring that the opportunity for amateur and professional rodeo continues to be a part of the Australian outback experience. It's about creating a new professional rodeo circuit to keep Australian rodeo competitors at the top of their game.
The series aims to create potentially four new annual rodeo events across Queensland, representing a long-term economic injection to the state of over $4 million.
Longreach is the perfect first location. It is a proud rodeo-loving region, has a long rodeo and camp drafting history and it's been 15 years since there was an APRA-affiliated rodeo event held there.
The top three money earners in each event from Road to Rodeo Longreach will be eligible to compete in a Road to Rodeo final at the 2022 Mount Isa Mines Rodeo.
The series final will be held as the last event of the Mount Isa Mines Rodeo program.
As further events are added to the Road to Rodeo series and the event grows, a standings ranking will be established and competitors will receive full APRA championship points.
Longreach will be run over one round and a final (top six).
Prize money will be awarded in-line with the APRA rule book.
Nominations for Longreach are now open and are being taken online at www.isarodeo.com.au/road-to-rodeo-longreach/competitors and will close on Sunday, April 3, 2022.
To see a full list of upcoming APRA rodeo events, visit www.prorodeo.com.au.
