Queensland cowboys aiming to follow in Ky Hamilton's footsteps

Mackay bull rider Ky Hamilton stormed to the top of the world standings in December last year, stunning US commentators by getting up off his hospital bed to clinch his win, but even before then, young Australian men and women have been pursuing their US rodeo and barrel racing dreams.

For Rodeo Road in Australia contributor Brett Hughes, Ky has shown them it is possible.

"The numbers seem to have grown this year," he said. "There seem to be a lot more Aussies, especially in the college ranks."

Injune's Damian Brennan, a sophomore for Western Texas this year, achieved his own personal best at the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association national finals last year, finishing fifth in the saddle bronc standings.

He's used the confidence gained from that to buck his way to number one bronc rider at present.

"He seems to have a natural talent," Brett Hughes commented. "His first rodeo back, Fort Worth, he was a bit rusty in the first round but in the second round he just exploded and he hasn't looked back."

He's been joined at the college by a School of the Air mate also from Injune, Darcy Radel who, in the words of his mother Jill Radel, is having the time of his life.

"At West Texas they think Injune must be a big city, to have two riders from there," she said.

"He's still got his strong Australian accent, and there's a good number of Aussies there now, which is really nice.

"They are seeing so much of the US."

Darcy headed to the States in 2022, on a scholarship to the Western Texas College, and had only been bronc riding for 18 months before that.

Damian had given him a phone number to ring to enquire about a place at the college, and although the books were full, got his chance when one of those dropped out.

"You can't pass up an opportunity like that," Jill said.

She said they practised their craft every week, receiving a lot of tips from coach Greg Rhodes, both on the horses and on the mental aspects of their work.

"We're very excited that he has this opportunity and that he's making it work," she said. "He's often driving at midnight his time, which is our day time, so he rings for a chat."

Another young Queensland cowboy who rings home, for cooking tips, is Goondiwindi's Scott Wells, another of the Australian names on the Western Texas roster.

According to his mum Sarah Wells, he's not big on the huge servings of processed food and so he's learnt to cook for himself.

"I often get a call - what do I do here," she said.

Bull riding is Scott's focus, scoring $24,000 in early March with 90, 89 and 90 point rides at the Tuff Herdman event in Las Vegas.

He and his twin brother Thomas have rodeoed all their lives, starting off with mutton busters and junior steer rides before graduating to mini bulls and working their way up to open competition, along with Weengallon's Warwick and Sam Southern.

Warwick is also at Western Texas this year.

"He's loving that he's rodeoing every day," Sarah said. "He knows Ky (Hamilton) and Damian - they are all mates over there."

Jill Radel said it was a very collegiate atmosphere.

"It's a really nice community - the likes of Darc can ring the top level riders and say, I'm getting on this horse, what can you tell me about it," she said.

"And the US families have been really good to him, looking after him for Christmas.

"He's learning a lot of life skills as well as rodeo skills."

Darcy's making 2024 his rookie year and Jill said he was "chipping away at it".

"What's different in the US is the amount you can do in a weekend," she said. "He and a mate did 4000 kilometres one long weekend and covered four or five rodeos."

That's two of the 30 or more Aussie cowboys making their mark in the US, and Brett Hughes says there's plenty of others in the mix, Townsville's steer wrestling Travis Munro, and Mount Isa and Cloncurry bull riders Donovan Rutherford and Jack Keats among them.

"There's so many associations over there, it takes a bit to find all the Aussies and what they're up to," he said.