AT 14 years of age, Ellysa Kenny is eyeing off her first National Finals in the Australian Professional Rodeo Association.
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The Emerald rider was one of the youngest in history to win at the Mount Isa Mines Mount Isa Rotary Rodeo when she won round 1 of the Barrel Race this year.
With the top 15 set to qualify for next year’s Warwick Rodeo National Finals on the last weekend in October 2017, Ellysa is currently perfectly placed in the standings leading up to the Christmas run home.
She is fifth in the Barrel Race, sixth in Breakaway Roping and sixth in the All Around cowgirl standings.
Ellysa said her favourite event was the Barrel Race.
“It is more of an adrenaline rush,” she said.
“I want to make a career out of rodeo.
“My goal is to compete in America one day.”
Behind every good rider is a good horse and that is definitely the case with Ellysa Kenny.
She rides Jellybean in Breakaway Roping, a horse used for the Rope and Tie by her father Shane Kenny, the most successful cowboy in APRA history.
Ellysa Barrel Races on her horse Rebel and competes in both events on Ted.
“Ted is my favourite as I compete in my two events on him,” she said.
Ellysa has a great chance to move up the rankings in the APRA standings in the coming weeks.
Her family will be competing across the country in the New South Wales and Victorian rodeos on the Christmas Run starting at Myrtleford on Boxing Day.
Ellysa and Shane feature in the open rankings and will compete in open events.
Meanwhile her younger brothers Tyler, 11, and Jayden, 9, will compete in junior events.
It stays all in the family as their mother Leanne will be working behind the scenes with the cattle for the timed events.
Shane and Leanne operate Destiny Downs Cattle Company at Emerald.
They both travel to many parts of the nation with timed event cattle.
This year, their cattle are being used at many of the Christmas Run Rodeos.
The next APRA rodeos are at Rosewood in New South Wales and Trafalgar in Victoria which are both on December 17.
The Mount Isa New Year’s Eve Rodeo is the next one in Queensland taking place on Saturday, December 31 at the Buchanan Park rodeo complex.
Stay tuned to the North West Star in the coming weeks for more information about that rodeo.
The Mount Isa New Year’s Eve Rodeo is the next one in Queensland taking place on Saturday, December 31 at the Buchanan Park rodeo complex.
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Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
