All eyes in Clermont will be on Las Vegas this weekend where one of their own will be competing in the PBR bull riding world finals.
Young gun Brady Fielder, ranked number two on the PBR Australia standings with 10 days to go until the Australian finals, has been invited to compete at the prestigious event along with NSW's Cliff Richardson.
Fielder, aged 19, looks set to take out the 2019 Rookie of the Year title, and could make a run for the national championship with some stellar results at the tail end of the season.
No stranger to rising to big occasions, he has scored multiple top three finishes in PBR Australia tour events this year, including title wins in Newcastle, Marrabel and Cunnamulla.
Despite his youth, the fearless Fielder already sports his fair share of bull riding battle injuries - he's not only lost vision in his left eye, but also sustained a punctured lung.
Fellow Clermont bull rider and 2018 national champion Aaron Kleier currently tops the PBR Australia standings, backing up from a runner-up finish in 2017 and an inaugural Australian title last year.
Last year's runner-up to Kleier, 28-year-old Cliff Richardson, based at Gresford in NSW, failed to find consistency in the middle of the PBR Australia season but with recent form under his belt, is now at number three nationally and is hoping the Las Vegas appearance will set him up well to compete the following weekend at Townsville.
Cliff's younger brother and fourth on the PBR Australia ladder, Lachlan Richardson, also from Gresford, is also hoping to put injury and a mid-season slump behind him to make a last-ditch run at this year's national title.
Related: Clermont's Kleier crowned champion
The national championships are scheduled to take place at the Townsville Entertainment Centre on November 15 and 16 and will attract four international riders as well as 18 of Australia's top riders, including 2018 world champion Brazilian Kaique Pacheco.
The weekend will celebrate the 20th anniversary of PBR in Australia and will also be the deciding event in the race to Stock Contractor of the Year title.
Another Clermont product, Brandenburg Bucking Bulls are currently at number three in the national standings.
The 2017 titleholders are headed up by 23-year-old female breeder Dakota Brandenburg, who cares for around 140 bulls at any given time.
At the age of 18, she became the youngest female bull owner and trainer in the country, and now manages the day-to-day feeding, training, diet and vaccinations all the bulls in her care.
The Australian PBR grand finals will also see US country music singer Ryan Weaver perform. Weaver was a military intelligence analyst and then a Black Hawk aviator who was deployed to Baghdad International Airport.
He has since toured the US with the PBR, performing at sell-out events and is looking forward to performing in Townsville on his first trip to Australia.
Related: Maroons claim bull riding honours
Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
