THE WOODFORD BULL RIDE ON MARCH 1ST

 
THE Woodford Bull Ride on March 1st in South-east Queensland will be one of the richest in the state this year.
The committee is putting on open, second division and junior bull rides from 7pm at the Woodford Showgrounds.
The more the prize money, the more the nominations and the better the entertainment for the crowd. The money on offer at Woodford puts it with Mt Isa and Warwick as three of the richest bull rides on the Queensland circuit.
The Woodford rodeo is two months before the end of the Australian Professional Rodeo Association season so plenty of riders will be aiming for prize money to boost their chances of qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo at the Gold Coast in June.
The top-15 to the end of April qualify for the finals.
Tooma (NSW) rider Brad Pierce leads the bull ride standings in the APRA from two Queenslanders, Bouldercombe cowboy Jason Mara and Gracemere rider Stuart Frame.
All three are assured of a spot in the top-15 but will boost their chances of a pro-tour win with a place at Woodford. The cowboy with the most prize money for the season wins a buckle for a pro tour victory.
Five Queenslanders who will be desperate for a place at Woodford are Troy Mara (Bouldercombe), Jared Borghero (Gracemere), Mark Lamberth (Mt Isa), Guy Ford (Rockhampton) and Ryan Storey (Dingo) who are placed between 13th and 18th on the standings. Northern Territory rider Tom Willoughby is in 14th place and also battling to qualify.
Woodford will be the first championship points rodeo in Queensland this year.
Two of the better performed cowboys from the Woodford region down the years have been the Carlo brothers from Delaneys Creek, Martin and Matthew.
Many of the bull riders who compete at Woodford will travel across the Great Dividing Range to Millmerran for a show rodeo on March 2.
All eight championship events will be contested at Millmerran. The timed events are from 1pm and the rough stock cowboys will start their battles with bulls and broncs at 6.30pm.
Millmerran rider Peter Moffatt spends a lot of his time in Victoria but always makes a point of competing in the saddle bronc in his hometown rodeo.
Moffatt is currently fourth on saddle bronc standings behind leader Pierce.
Wandoan cowboy Cameron Webster is second in saddle bronc standings and will be one of the favourites at Millmerran.
APRA program: February 16 Ballarat (Vic), Wagga Wagga (NSW); February 23 Narrandera (NSW), Whittlesea (Vic); March 1 Woodford Bull Ride (Qld); March 2 Millmerran Show Rodeo (Qld), Cranbourne (Vic) ; March 8 Kyabram (Vic); March 9 Merrijig (Vic); March 10 Gowrie Park (Tas), Chiltern (Vic); March 23 Preston (Tas), Comet (Qld) Benefit Rodeo; March 29 Fielders Great Western Rodeo (Vic), Roma Bull Ride; March 30 Omeo (Vic), Emerald (Qld), Tocumwal (NSW); March 31 Buchan (Vic), Daly Waters (NT), Roma (Qld); April 1 Lang Lang (Vic).
More information from APRA office on 07 4661 8183

Photo Courtesy of:
Dave Ethell Rodeo Photos