DYSART bullrider Sonny Schafferius, 28, won the Professional Bull Riders event held at the Mount Isa Show on the weekend.
Schafferius won $4050 with a total 239 points accumulated through the PBR held Friday and Saturday nights at Buchanan Park. It had been a comeback for the PBR winner – who was ranked seventh in the competition at the end of the first night.
By the end of the weekend’s competition Schafferius had a comfortable margin ahead of second placer Bailey Woodard, who had a total 163.5 points.
He is ranked fourth in PBR Australia rankings before his win in Mount Isa. Schafferius had outdone the leader of the rankings, Aaron Kleier, who also competed.
Nathan Burtenshaw, who was leading with 86 points at the end of the first night, fell back to third place with a total 160 points.
On Saturday night Schafferius gained 81 points on Nearly Gotcha, fell to Tick Tock, and cleaned up with 80.5 points in his final ride on Ricky Bobby.
His ride on Ricky Bobby was the second last of the night. He could not be certain he would win until the final ride of the night. Burtenshaw struggled in the chute with Un Broken, who managed to slip through into the next gate and hurting the rider’s arm in the process. He gained no score from Un Broken.
“Nathan (Burtenshaw), he can ride pretty good,” Schafferius said. “You can never count him out.”
Schafferius, a panel beater when he is not riding, competed in the United States earlier this year.
“The crowds are a little smaller over here, but the bulls are just the same,” he said.
“They are good bulls to get on.”
Schafferius had already competed on some of his rides in previous rodeos and PBRs.
“You get to watch them and find out a few tricks about them but you can’t set any traps, or you fall off pretty quick,” he said.
“it’s all unpredictable.”
He next competes in Darwin, Cairns, Melbourne and Sydney.
