Sports fans take note, Australian pro rodeo is about to get your attention.
There are just four rodeos left in the Australian Professional Rodeo Association's 2022 season. That's only a handful of opportunities - or no more than a total of 32 seconds if you're a bull rider - to take a Pro Tour Title win.
"The season has been one of the best yet, but with the standings close and the competition fierce, it's about to get interesting," APRA director and competition board chairman Terry Evison said.
"Rodeo has got some of the toughest competitors, and these guys and girls are about to really battle to be the best."
After Australia's single highest paying pro-rodeo, the Curry Merry Muster Festival, the wins were banked and the calculations done for a standings shuffle.
Over $20,000 was paid out in the ladies' breakaway roping to see 2021 Australian breakaway roping champion Jane Ryan jump from 24th to second with a total of just over $10,011 in the bank, putting her behind standings leader, Queensland cowgirl Maisy Heatherington - who tied for second at Curry - and her $15,000-plus total prize money.
Record breaking roper Angela Simpson is third with $9,924.45, sitting only $100-odd ahead of 2021 Australian all around cowgirl Cherie O'Donoghue, in fourth. Alton Downs cowgirl Jorja Iker has dropped into fifth, but with less than $7000 separating first and fifth, the season is still anyone's to win.
The top two spots in all three rough-stock events - bull ride, bronc ride and saddle bronc ride - are tight, so the cowboys will be looking to draw an animal that will make the eight second ride one to watch, and score on.
Bronc rider and 2021 APRA NFR round winner Cameron Southern is sitting in the top spot with $20,264.82 beside his name, while fellow Queenslander Greg Hamilton is ready to make a move to first, just $600 behind. Darcy Radel is in third with just over $14,000, Lachie Sheppard fourth on $13,812.50 and Mick Knight fifth on $11,536.73.
Taking the all around cowboy title at the Curry, 2021 Australian bull ride champion Donovan Rutherford is just $2000 ahead of rival Will Purcell with $14,519.83 for the bull ride. Victorian cowboy Sam Woodall is in third with $11,462.00, Cameron Southern fourth on $10,414.00 and Kelsey Pavlou fifth, $10,008.66. Not one of these cowboys steps away from a challenge so where they sit after the mighty Isa Rodeo is what we're waiting to see.
Luke Higgins is in first in the bareback with $20,362.52, but second placed cowboy Jarrod McKane, 2021 Australian bareback champion and all around rookie cowboy, won't let Luke rest easy and he'll make quick work of the $3500 he needs to take first. Cody Tyrrell is in third with $10,657.33, Travis Heeb fourth on $7235.06, and Fred Osman fifth, $6923.50.
STANDINGS
BARREL RACE - 1 Leanne Caban QLD $37,697.87, 2 Adanni Walker VIC $23,732.00, 3 Ellysa Kenny QLD $18,436.80, 4 Ellie Gard NSW $17,708.00, 5 Leslie Moore VIC $13,112.80.
ROPE AND TIE - 1 Shane Iker QLD $13,391.91, 2 Campbell Hodson QLD $11,991.10, 3 Terry Evison VIC $7464.40, 4 Ty Parkinson VIC $6995, 5 Benjamin Smith NSW $5865.
STEER WRESTLING - 1 Jace Land QLD $11,230.39, 2 Ryley Gibb QLD $10,271.33, 3 Peter Davenport VIC $7618.00, 4 Campbell Hodson QLD $6369.52, 5 Lee Kimber VIC $6325.40.
TEAM ROPING, HEADER - 1 Campbell Hodson QLD $15,389.05, 2 Rope McPhee QLD $14,928.51, 3 Terry Evison VIC $14,899.00, 4 Jayden Kenny QLD $11,649.00, 5 Shane Iker QLD $7358.50.
TEAM ROPING, HEELER - 1 Kai Clark NSW $17,872.50, 2 Shane Kenny QLD $16,135.03, 3 Toby Hale QLD $11,245.00, 4 Cameron Milner QLD $10,426.00, 5 Ty Parkinson VIC $7924.50.
ALL AROUND COWGIRL - 1 Leanne Caban QLD $41,980.22, 2 Ellysa Kenny QLD $21,548.70, 3 Cherie O'Donoghue VIC $18,743.70, 4 Leslie Moore VIC $12,534.80, 5 Angela Simpson QLD $10,222.45.
ALL AROUND COWBOY - 1 Campbell Hodson QLD $32,631.67, 2 Shane Iker QLD $26,005.61, 3 Terry Evison VIC $25,434.40, 4 Kai Clark NSW $21,701.50, 5 Shane Kenny QLD $21,559.40.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - 1 Kai Clark NSW $21,701.50, 2 Kelsey Pavlou VIC $10,008.66, 3 Travis Heeb QLD $7235.06, 4 Kade Griffiths VIC $5494, 5 Josh Barnett NSW $5234.
