CLONCURRY cowboy Dean McIntrye will face a field of 34 riders as he aims to retain his steer wrestling title at the Cloncurry Merry Muster on Friday night and Saturday, August 2 and 3.
The rodeo at Cloncurry is one of only four in the Australian Professional Rodeo Association which run for two or more days.
There are 348 entries for the rodeo which rates with next weekend’s Mt Isa Rodeo and Warwick on the last weekend in October as the top three in the APRA.
McIntyre won the steer wrestling narrowly last year from Alton Downs cowboy Shane Iker and will face just as tough a field this weekend.
Four of the top five timed events cowboys in the nation will be at Cloncurry, Iker, Emerald pair Shane Kenny and Clancy Middleton, and Victorian rider Terry Evison.
McIntyre has also entered the team roping where there is a field of 84 riders. He is one of 26 cowboys nominated for rope and tie.
In rough stock events, the Mara brothers, Jason and Troy, formerly from Cloncurry, will hold many of the hometown hopes in the bull ride.
Jason will be defending the bull riding title he won at Cloncurry last year. He had the highest score in any rough stock round at Mt Isa last year so has the ability to go back to back at Cloncurry.
It won’t be just the men in action at Cloncurry, there are 39 cowgirls nominated for the barrel race and 36 in breakaway roping.
The rodeo will be at the Cloncurry Recreational Showgrounds on Friday night and all day Saturday.
The Mt Isa Rodeo will be held on August 9 to 11.
