Darren Clarke bucks up at Warwick. Photo: courtesy of www.kenyonsportsphotos.com.au
IT was a battle between two northern New South Wales riders in the bareback bronc ride at the Warwick Rodeo.
Quirindi rider Darren Clarke won round two with a score of 85 for a winning two-round score of 160.
Matthew Makinson, of Upper Horton, scored 81 to win round one and was second overall with 158.
Wandoan (Queensland) rider Dave Worsfold was third overall with 153 and Warwick rider Brock Mulhall fourth with a two-round score of 149.
Tooma (NSW) cowboy Brad Pierce leads the Australian Professional Rodeo Association all around standings and showed the consistency of a champion to score 79 in each round of the saddle bronc to win overall.
Gunnedah riders Ben O’Reilly and Sam Knight were placed in the saddle bronc ride.
Knight was fourth in round one, third in round two and third overall with a score of 149. O’Reilly finished equal second in round one and sixth overall with 147.
Tamworth cowboy Kerry Wellington was fourth in round one and fifth overall.
Upper Horton cowboy Jackson Gill was first in round one of the second-division bull ride and third overall.
In team roping, the all women’s team of Wendy Caban (Moree) and Zoe Swain (Narrabri) won round one and was second in the final to finish second overall.
Caban was fifth in round one of ladies’ barrel racing and equal third in the final of breakaway roping.
New Zealand cowboy Fraser Babbington scored 81 and 84 in his two rides to win the open bull ride, the only one of 60 riders to make time on two bulls.
Stuart McGuire-Spalding, of Crows Nest, won the rope and tie with a time of 26.85 over two head to be one of five Queensland winners in open timed events.
Gracemere steer wrestler Adam Knowles won for the first time at the famous Warwick Rodeo with a two-round time of 10.7 while Warren Lamb (Taroom) and Errol Frain (Yeppoon) won the team roping in 20.75 for two rounds.
In cowgirl events, Mareeba barrel racer Jodie Williamson made the long trip from North Queensland worthwhile with times of 18.001 and 17.804 to secure victory.
There was a tie in breakaway roping with Helen McVicar (Attunga NSW) and Yvonne Emerson (Peak Crossing, Qld) sharing the spoils in 9.15 seconds over two head.