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Queensland riders head south

Charters Towers rider Campbell Hodson leads the cowboys all around standings going into the Ariat Australian Professional Rodeo Association National Finals on Friday at Chiltern.

The national finals were originally set down for Warwick in late October but were postponed as half the finalists were from NSW, Victoria and SA so couldn't enter Queensland due to border restrictions.

Now it is the half of the finalists from Queensland who have to do the travelling in the next 10 days.

The four rounds of the finals all start at 7pm (Victorian time) on January 21-22 at Chiltern and then January 29-30 at Alexandra.

Hodson will compete at Chiltern soon after a strong showing at a rodeo at Hervey Bay in the new year.

He is originally from Townsville but was then coached in timed events by the best of the best, Shane Kenny, while he lived in the Emerald area in Central Queensland.

Hodson is now back in the north at Charters Towers and gets a chance to compete with great mate and fellow Charters Towers cowboy Liam Davison in team roping.

The pair have won national titles as a combination.

The cowgirl standings are led by Emerald rider Ellysa Kenny.

Nominations for women's events in rodeo have risen significantly in the past year.

The favourite in breakaway roping at Chiltern is Brigalow rider Jane Ryan who lived in SA before moving north to the Western Downs Regional Council area in Queensland.

Interest in saddle bronc has increased this year as the event is being promoted with Xtreme bronc events in the eastern states.

The bull ride will be a battle between 15 riders and the best 15 bucking bulls in the nation over four rounds.

Up to half the riders could be bucked off each of their four bulls, such is the quality of bulls which are bred to buck.

At some rodeos, only one or two riders make the eight seconds bell to record a score in the bull ride.

For the riders who do stay on, the monetary rewards are there for all to see.

If only one rider records a score at one rodeo or one round, that one cowboy wins all the available prize money and it doesn't need to be split between the top three or four.

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

January 22: Harveydale Rodeo, Tas

January 28-29: Rounds 3-4 of the Ariat APRA National Finals at Alexandra Dame Paddy Menzies Centre.

February 4: Bulls and Bands, Bennett Ranch, Vic

February 5: Wagga Wagga Rodeo, NSW

February 12: Xtreme Bulls Penrith, NSW

February 12: Scottsdale Rodeo, Tas

February 12: Geelong Rodeo, Vic

February 19: Ulverstone Twilight Rodeo, Tas

February 19: Narrandera Rodeo, NSW

February 25: Echuca Pro Rodeo, Vic

February 26: Whittlesea Rodeo, Vic

February 26: Harveydale Rodeo, Tas

Article courtesy of Australian Community Media and Queensland Country Life

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