Clermont cowboy Brady Fielder is the lone cowboy flying the flag for Australia in the prestigious PBR world finals underway in Fort Worth, Texas.
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Qualifying 24th in the world at the end of the year's regular season, Fielder opened up with an 84.25 point ride on Game Over as one of the first riders to leave the chutes inside Dickies Arena last Thursday.
The eight second ride garnered him 12 world points and put him in 12th place, but at the end of the first weekend's rounds and two unridden bulls, he's now sitting in 21st with the final big weekend coming up.
It's Fielder's second time at the bull-riding world championship after debuting at the season-ending event in Las Vegas in 2019.
The Queensland cowboy competed at 16 events in the US and Australia this season, delivering a perfect two-for-two performance at the elite PBR Australia Monster Energy Tour stop in Scone, NSW in February to win the event.
He delivered another perfect performance at the PBR Rockhampton Invitational in Rockhampton a week later, clinching his second consecutive event win.
Fielder's mother, Fiona Fielder said he was living his dream.
"He just loves it in America," she said.
"He was there January, February, March 2020 but had to come home because of COVID.
"This is his thing, but I don't think he expected to be in the world finals."
Ms Fielder said her son was getting to know the US and Brazilian cowboys contesting the 2022 PBR world championship, and had a few more options of places to stay now.
He's been there for three months and is working on obtaining a sports visa rather than a holiday one, so that he can stay and continue to compete in the sport.
After the finals he has a week-long scholarship to travel and compete in Florida.
"He's living his dream, he's done really well," Ms Fielder said.
The action recommences on Thursday, May 19, concluding on Sunday, May 22.
A complete schedule of events at Fort Worth, where one rider will earn the coveted gold buckle and a $1m bonus after eight rounds of action, is available online.
State pride on the line
Back in Australia, professional bull riders will lay it all on the line at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre this Saturday night for the final instalment of the 2022 PBR Monster Energy Tour Origin Series.
Team Queensland and Team New South Wales will be battling it out to determine which state is the supreme bull riding powerhouse.
Modelled on the State of Origin rugby league series, the first event in Newcastle saw Team Queensland surge to an early lead, before Team New South Wales made a comeback to win the second event in Tamworth last month.
Team New South Wales captain and 2016 PBR Australia champion Cody Heffernan is hoping his team can replicate its performance in Tamworth.
"We proved that we can beat Team Queensland, so without a doubt we can go to Brisbane and beat them," he said.
Since the series inception in 2019, Team Queensland has dominated the dirt, with two Origin victories already under its belt.
Captain and four-time reigning PBR Australia champion Aaron Kleier said he was hoping to leverage off the home-state advantage in the final round.
"I am looking forward to riding as a team with the Queensland boys and representing our state with them," he said. "Putting on that maroon jersey is truly an honour."
According to PBR Australia general manager Glen Young, vital points will also be up for grabs this weekend that will play a crucial role in determining who will qualify for the PBR Monster Energy Tour grand final in Townsville in November.
"In addition to vying for the title of PBR Australia Origin Champion, riders will also be competing for points towards the Australian national standings and broader PBR world standing," he said.
"The PBR Monster Energy Tour Grand Finals is the richest bull riding event in the entire southern hemisphere.
"The best rider of the series gets a $7500 bonus and this year's Australian champion will receive a $50,000 year-end bonus."
The PBR Origin Series Championship winner is the team with the highest combined score in the event aggregate.
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