Kerrie Holder claims ladies barrel racing title at Road to Rodeo

Cootamundra's Kerrie Holder became the inaugural winner of the ladies open barrel race at Longreach's Road to Rodeo on Sunday, winning the event with Dually before a crowd of 3000.

The current Australian and Mount Isa Mines Rodeo champion, Kerrie was among the rollcall of new champions named as the event firmly established itself on the calendar for 2023 and beyond.

And that was after she and her father, Bob Holder thought the new rodeo, an expansion of the legendary Mount Isa Mines Rodeo, might not even happen.

"It started raining at Bourke and then it was really raining at Cunnamulla and the news was saying there was four inches and some were saying eight inches at Longreach," she said. "We thought, how far are we going to get before they turn us round."

That was on Tuesday and they were nearly the first ones to pull up at the Longreach Showgrounds.

"We pulled up where we did and we couldn't go any further, we would have got stuck," Kerrie said, referencing the muddy conditions. "We got through, and they did such an amazing job to get this up to scratch."

They were among the best riders in the country competing for titles across the full rodeo program, including 2021 Mount Isa champions Fred Osman (bareback), Sam Weston (2^nd division saddle bronc) and Byron Kirk (poddy calf).

Kerrie's win on Sunday added to her bulging mantlepiece of awards over a career that's so far lasted over 50 years.

She said she'd started off in pony club gymkhanas then as a junior in the open ladies competition, before juniors had a separate contest.

"I would have been under 10 when I started," she said.

"It's just that thing that makes you get up in the morning.

"Barrel racing is still the same thing - it's still one right and two lefts or one left and two rights - but there's newer ways of training and they're breeding horses now specifically for barrel racing.

"Years ago it used to be, you just rode your Dad's rope horse or whatever, but now, you train them."

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Her horse, Dually, registered name QXR Jazarina, is cutting bred and originally purchased as a two-year-old for her father Bob to rope on but Kerrie had first dibs as he was too young for roping.

"He just took to barrel racing," Kerrie said. "He never got back to the roping pen - Dad never got his horse back."

She said he loved what he did and thanks to him being on top of his game, she'd had quite a few wins.

"I love it, and I know it won't last forever so I'm just lapping it up," she said.

Talented young Injune cowboy Darcy Radel walked away with two saddle bronc ride titles, taking the 2^nd division title and the open saddle bronc title.

Local Barcaldine boy Jackson Gray took out the bull riding title, flying in to Longreach from Mackay especially for the event.

In a nail biter of a final, he beat cowboys Donovan Rutherford and Brumby Brandenburg to take the title.

Reigning Mount Isa Mines Rodeo open bareback bronc rider Fred Osman took the Longreach title in his signature event.

Acclaimed rodeo announcer Aaron Ryan's wife Jane Ryan, the current Australian breakaway roping champion also won her signature event.

Open Saddle Bronc

Open Bull Ride

Open Bareback Bronc Ride

Rope & Tie

Steer Wrestling

Team Roping

Ladies Barrel Race

Breakaway Roping

2nd Division Saddle Bronc

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