ROADS from all states will head to Mount Isa this weekend for the richest rodeo on the Australian Professional Rodeo Association circuit, the Mount Isa Rotary Rodeo.
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The event, held across August 7 to 9, has attracted 570 nominations, the most in any APRA rodeo this year.
Four of the cowboys to watch will be Wantabadgery, New South Wales, rough stock star Rhys Angland, Queensland timed event cowboy Shane Kenny, of Emerald, Victorian rider Cherie O’Donoghue, from Lockington, and steer wrestler Rodney Reynolds, from Molyullah.
The Mount Isa Rodeo rates with Warwick and Cloncurry as the three biggest in the APRA.
Angland won the open saddle bronc ride at Cloncurry last weekend and will go into the saddle bronc and bull rides at Mount Isa with form on the board.
He has won APRA titles in both events in the same year so an Angland double is a real possibility.
Two riders who may ruin Angland’s dream of a double are saddle bronc rider Michael Maher from Warwick (Queensland), who won the Ken Coleman Shoot-out at Cloncurry in the saddle bronc, and current bull riding title holder Kurt Shephard, of Atherton in North Queensland.
Kenny is the new season all-around cowboy and rope and tie standings leader in the APRA, as well as the most successful cowboy in APRA history with 31 titles, the first as a teenager in the rope and tie in 1991.
He will contest the rope and tie, steer wrestling, and team roping this weekend.
O’Donoghue has won the most titles in the cowgirl ranks in APRA history and will make the long trek from Victoria to Mount Isa.
She has nominated for the barrel race, breakaway roping, and team roping.
Year in, year out, Victorian cowboy Rodney Reynolds has proved to be one of the best in the business and will be one of the favourites in steer wrestling.
He won the second round and overall title at Mount Isa in 2013, but will face tough opposition from current standings leader Clancy Middleton, from Hughenden in Queensland, and Kenny.
After this weekend, there will be rodeos in three states in the run-up to the Warwick Rodeo Australian Championships.
The top 15 in each event in the APRA will contest four championship rounds in Warwick, one on each day of the October 22 to 25 rodeo.
Competitors will also take some carry-over points from their success during the season into the championship rounds.
