A FINGER injury might have halted the rope and tie career of Jace Land but it has only made him more determined to win a steer wrestling title in the Australian Professional Rodeo Association.
The Charters Towers cowboy lost the top of three fingers while practising rope and tie.
Doctors at a Brisbane hospital sewed two of the finger tops back on.
"It was great to get two of the fingers back which has allowed me to rope again," Land said.
He occasionally competes in the rope and tie but is now concentrating on steer wrestling and team roping.
After five months of the APRA season, Land leads the standings in steer wrestling and rates a win at Wilmington in South Australia as his best performance so far.
Land believes he has one of the best steer wrestling horses on the circuit, Cutters, but is currently competing in Victoria on horses owned by close mate Terry Evison.
In team roping, he recorded a second at Yarrawonga and third at K Ranch during the Christmas Run of rodeos in the southern states.
After the Christmas Run, he has stayed in Victoria for a busy rodeo program in the first four months of the year.
Currently working in the Lockington area of Victoria with Pine Grove Farming, Land will return to his regular work as an auto electrician in Charters Towers after the Easter Run of rodeos.
He will then compete in the Northern Run of rodeos in Queensland, including his favourite rodeo at Mt Isa in early August.
Land was always going to compete in rodeo following in the footsteps of his parents Stephen and Debra Land who both competed in the APRA.
In 2018, he won the pro tour in steer wrestling but this year wants to go one better and win the title. He has also won a rookie team roping header title.
The next two championship points rodeos are the Euroa Pro Rodeo in Victoria on March 21 and the Clermont Rodeo in Queensland on March 28.
There are five APRA rodeos in Victoria, four in Queensland and one in NSW on the Easter long weekend.
APRA Queensland program:
March 28: Clermont Rodeo
April 10: Roma Xtreme Bulls
April 10: Destiny Downs Timed Event Rodeo at Emerald
April 11: Emerald Easter Sunflower Festival Rodeo
April 12: Roma Pro Rodeo
April 26-27: North West Anzac Weekend Rodeo at Cloncurry
May 2: Gargett Rodeo
May 2: Blackwater Rodeo
May 2: Goondiwindi Show Rodeo
May 3: St George Show Rodeo