Dave Worsfold hangs up his chaps and retires from rodeo

The Wandoan cowboy has had a long and successful career bareback riding across Australia and internationally, taking home $173,830.60 in Australian Professional Rodeo Association winnings.

Mr Worsfold, 40, has also won two APRA Pro Tour Titles and is also a five-time Mount Isa Rodeo winner, four-time Nebo Rodeo Winner, two-time Cloncurry Rodeo winner and Warwick Show and Rodeo winner, just to name a few.

Mr Worsfold said his introduction to rodeo started at boarding school at St Brendans in Yeppoon.

"I started off riding steers and junior bulls and then got into riding open bulls, I think I just wanted to be a bull rider all my life and made the Australian finals bull riding a couple of times," he said.

"We always practiced at the Great Western in Rocky every week. When they expanded it and turned it into a full sized rodeo arena and started bringing in horses, we got on some bareback horses and ever since the first one I loved the rush of it."

Mr Worsfold competed all over Australia, New Zealand, America, Canada and even got the chance to go to Brazil.

"I was lucky to place and win a few big rodeos over in America. My first win over there was the novice bareback at the Calgary Stampede when I was 20. It opened up a whole new world to me over there, getting a novice win there made me realise what was possible.

"In the states I would do 70-80 rodeos a year and that's staying pretty busy, I came back here in 2011 and I would get to about 25-30 rodeos if I was going hard," he said.

"I would go out of my way to travel to Sydney or Mount Isa just because they were professional rodeos.

"Who knows how many kilometres I've put in over the years. I used to go to Victoria and South Australia and up as far north as Townsville and across to the Territory."

Breaking the Australian bareback record at Nebo was one of Mr Worsfold's biggest career highlights.

"There was a Gill Brothers horse called Little Egypt, it was a great mare, I could have been on her six or eight times and was scoring in the high 80s. But in 2017 I broke the record of 90, scoring a 91, it was a great feeling," he said.

"Another highlight was winning that first title in 2015. Having a massive weight lifted off your shoulders because you try so hard for a long time and to be able to win three more after that, I was lucky enough at the finals and managed to get four titles."

Making the decision to retire, was simple for Mr Worsfold who wanted to go out on a good season.

"I turned 40 last year and I wanted to go out while I was still winning, instead of people looking at me like an old has-been," he said.

"I was going to quit when COVID-19 hit but then I wanted to have one good last year. I wanted to get back on the road again and have another crack at taking out the Australian Title but I didn't end up getting it, I finished up second for the year and I thought that was a good way to finish."

After sustaining "only a few minor injuries" throughout his career, Mr Worsfold looks back on his competitive days with fond memories and good friends.

Mr Worsfold plans to stay around the rodeo arenas into the future, turning his hat to judging and helping his kids compete.