BUCKING Thunder Downunder's (BTD) debut in the Don Willis Indoor Arena at the Tamworth Showground this Friday and Saturday nights promises fast and furious action.
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Organiser Malcolm Gill also promises some of the best rough riders in the nation.
"We've got 120 bull riders entered and 135 bulls to buck out," Gill said yesterday.
"And we've got another 52 saddle broncs as well."
The cowboys attending are world class and include such men as Darren Clarke, Adam Newman, Kerry Wellington, Jason O'Hearn, Dave Kennedy and Danny Farley.
Up and comers such as Ben Jones, Josh Britten, Leon Crosson, Riley Carter, Rhys Angland, Chris Lowe and Wes Brooker were also in the hunt, Gill said.
He has APRA bucking horse of the year – Droughts End – bucking out while second runner-up in the APRA bulls, Hard Yards, is here along with BTD bull of the year for the past two years, Sleepmaker.
"This is the best roll-up we've had for a while, second to none anywhere and competitive with rodeos such as Warwick and Mt Isa.
"You don't see 120 bullriders at one rodeo very often."
Dave Kennedy is the current BTD champion bull rider.
Jason O'Hearn is a CBR, APRA and BTD champion while Danny Farley is the leading ABCRA bull rider.
Tamworth's Wes Brooker is one of the young bull riders hoping to make his mark at the Tamworth BTD.
The 22-year-old former Farrer student has been rodeoing since he was 17 and gave away rugby league to concentrate on rodeo.
He's been "going all right" in the bullriding in the past few weeks too.
"I was third at Condobolin on Boxing Day and two weeks before that finished second at Oberon," Brooker said.
"Having the BTD here this week is great for us but there's going to be some good bullriders here.
"Hopefully I'll draw a good bull. There's a pretty good chance of that too."
Brooker currently works on the Tamworth Regional Council but hopes he might start to earn enough to go full- time rodeoing.
