THE best of the best in the Australian Professional Rodeo Association will head to North Queensland for the two Bowen River Rodeos this weekend.
Bowen River is the only area where two separate APRA rodeos are held on the one weekend, the more traditional rodeo has round 1 on the first day and finals on the second day.
There are 270 nominations for each day of the rodeo with action in all eight open APRA championship events as well as second division and junior.
Former Townsville rider Campbell Hodson won the APRA all around cowboy championship last October in Warwick, his first all around championship win at national level.
Hodson finished his secondary education at Thuringowa State High School in Townsville but now calls Emerald in Central Queensland home.
He has nominated for the rope and tie, steer wrestling and team roping in the two Bowen River rodeos at Strathmore Station this weekend.
The two daytime rodeos will feature stock from Gill Brothers from Upper Horton NSW and the Kenny family, Destiny Downs Cattle Company, Emerald.
Hodson is fourth in APRA all around standings behind leader Clay Bush (Yass, NSW), Shane Kenny (Emerald, Qld) and Victorian rider Terry Evison.
Last year, Emerald junior Ellysa Kenny won the all around championship for the cowgirls and will compete in open and junior barrel racing and breakaway roping at Bowen River.
Ellysa is sixth in APRA all around open standings for the October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019, season.
The three top cowgirls two thirds of the way through the season are Victorian trio Elley Hulls, Julie Breed and Cherie O’Donoghue, a multiple title winner down the year.
Ellysa is the highest-placed Queenslander in sixth place but is expected to move up the rankings as more than half of the rodeos in the rest of the APRA season are in Queensland.
It is a long way from Warwick in South Queensland to Bowen River in North Queensland but one saddle bronc rider Michael Maher is happy to make, especially as he gets two chances to go for winning prizemoney.
Maher is one of the favourites for the saddle bronc along with standings leader Cameron Webster from Wandoan.
The Warwick rider is currently 20th in the standings and needs to move up at least five placings if he is going to qualify for the Warwick Rodeo APRA National Finals in late October.
There are 19 riders in the saddle bronc at Bowen River.
Proserpine rider Roy Dunn will be one of the favourites for the open bull ride at Bowen River.
The highest ranked bull rider in the field of 15 is Tasmanian cowboy Kyle Maskiell.
The next APRA action will be the Warwick Evandale Junior Rodeo on June 23 and the Junior National Finals Rodeo at Emerald on June 29-30 held in conjunction with an open rodeo at Emerald on June 30.