Caban wins the double at Hervey Bay Rodeo

Emerald rider Leanne Caban won the barrel racing and breakaway roping at the Hervey Bay Rodeo on New Year's Day.

Hervey Bay was one of two rodeos planned in the Wide Bay area in January. The second, at Maryborough, was postponed on January 8 due to record rain in parts of the Wide Bay area on the Friday night and Saturday morning which cut numerous highways and roads.

Caban will go into the January 21-29 Ariat Australian Professional Rodeo Association National Finals in third place in the all around cowgirl standings behind leader Ellysa Kenny, of Emerald, and South Australian cowgirl Candy Michaelis.

In barrel racing, Michaelis is first in the standings, Kenny second, Victorian rider Leslie Moore third and Caban fourth.

Jane Ryan, from Brigalow, ieads breakaway roping standings going into the finals. Kenny is ninth and Caban 10th.

In the rope and tie at Hervey Bay, Mitch Eastwell, from Warwick, was the winner from Emerald cowboy Shane Kenny. Eastwell was timed at 8.6 seconds.

Charters Towers rider Campbell Hodson won the team roping in combination with Shane Kenny.

The steer wrestling was won by Tate Van Wel from Charters Towers in 4.3 seconds, .05 of a second ahead of Will Sloan.

Queensland competitors will start to head south this week in preparation for the national finals at Chiltern on January 22-23 and Alexandra on January 29-30.

Prize money for the past two seasons has been combined and will give riders higher up in the standings a better chance in the finals.

Around half the riders to compete late this month in Victoria are from Queensland.

While Queensland riders missed out on some pre finals training due to the heavy rain late last week in the Wide Bay area, competitors from the southern states had the chance to fine tune their form at a rodeo at Alexandra in Victoria, one of the venues for the national finals.

The national finals will be contested over four rounds in Victoria, two at Chiltern and two at Alexandra.

APRA program:
January 14-15: Xtreme Bulls, Tamworth, NSW.

January 21-22: Rounds 1-2 of the Ariat APRA National Finals at Chiltern Racecourse and Recreation Reserve.

February 5: Wagga Wagga Rodeo, NSW

February 12: Xtreme Bulls Penrith, NSW

February 12: Scottsdale Rodeo, Tasmania

February 12: Geelong Rodeo, Victoria

February 19: Ulverstone Twilight Rodeo, Tasmania

February 19: Narrandera Rodeo, NSW

February 25: Echuca Pro Rodeo, Victoria

February 26: Whittlesea Rodeo, Victoria

February 26: Harveydale Rodeo, Tasmania

Article courtesy of Australian Community Media and Queensland Country Life