Mark Lamberth’s plan to end his career with an international swansong is on track after the evergreen cowboy conquered the bull ride at the biggest rodeo in the Southern Hemisphere.
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The 38-year old, who once called Mount Isa home when he worked as a diesel fitter, posted an 84-point ride to tame Spin To Win on Saturday night.
It was the only score Lamberth needed as the beasts dominated the world-class bull riders in the final on Sunday at Buchanan Park.
Not one cowboy made the required eight-second buzzer in the final, leaving Lamberth’s round one ride enough for victory.
But it didn’t come without one final scare, as Rhys Angland - the last competitor out of the chutes for the final - looked set to produce a winning score before falling off one buck short of the eight-second mark.
“It was awesome, I’ve been chasing this one for a long time,” Lamberth said after the win.
“I’ve come close a few times but never got the win.”
“The bulls had their day (on Sunday)...
“It’s just the way it rolls.”
Lamberth had a stroke of luck in the first round, calling for a re-ride after Cody – one of the best-scoring bulls on the circuit - fell over out of the chutes.
He wanted another chance to tame Cody - knowing he could get a winning score out of the bull - but organisers already had Spin To Win ready in the chutes for Lamberth to ride.
In a stroke of fate, it was Cody who bucked off Angland in his last ditch attempt to overtake Lamberth.
Lamberth has been coming to Mount Isa for “about 13 years” when the rodeo was held at Kalkadoon Park.
“I nearly got a win (at Kalkadoon Park) and I’ve also had a couple of thirds.”
Lamberth gave up working in the mines in Mount Isa a few years ago and now works at Flying Fox Station, in the Roper River region of the Northern Territory, near Katherine.
Making it even more special for Lamberth was having his two kids watching and cheering from the Buchanan Park grandstand.
“Sunday here is one of the best days of rodeo around… the atmosphere is there, and also the stock, and the best cowboys turn up and I’ve brought my kids here and they are watching on in the grandstand,” he said.
“I’ve always wanted to win this rodeo… I’d rather be riding two bulls and taking the win, but I’ll take the win… this is the rodeo I wanted to take.”
After beating a host of bull riders – some more than half his age - Lamberth hopes the victory will catapult the twilight years of his career for one last assault overseas against the best riders on the planet.
Lamberth has already enjoyed stints in Canada and the United States, but he is eyeing one last hurrah overseas to battle the best and “finish on a high note”.
“I’ll keep following the circuit for a bit, but I want to get to the finals (in the United States),” he said.
“This win takes a bit of pressure off because I’ll probably (qualify for) the finals now.”
In 2005, he spent a year bullriding in the USA and Canada, reaching the finals at the Fort Worth rodeo in Texas, USA.
The Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo in the US is a 10-day event hosting the world's top rodeo riders and Lamberth is targeting the event as one where he could possibly end his career.
