EMERALD will have the chance to host a second rodeo in three months when the Australian Professional Rodeo Association Junior National Finals head to town on July 10-11.

It will be a busy weekend at Emerald with action starting on the Friday at 5pm with round 1 of the junior finals, then an open bull ride and on the same night the second round of the junior finals.

The third round of the junior finals will be on the Saturday in conjunction with an open rodeo at Emerald.

The junior finals and open bull ride and rodeo will be held in conjunction with major agriculture field day, Ag-Grow at Emerald on July 9-11.

Five of the riders to watch in the junior finals will be the current event leaders, Victorian cowboy Jake Malay-Murphy, New South Wales siblings Ellie and Benjamin Gard and two stars of the future from Central Queensland, Alton Downs roper Jordan Iker and Emerald barrel racer Ellysa Kenny.

Jordan was placed in open events at Emerald and Roma at Easter on the same weekend his father Shane Iker won the timed event treble at Roma.

One Victorian with a top chance of success will be Montana O’Donoghue-Kent who is second in the junior barrel race standings. Her mother Ruth O’Donoghue and aunt Cherie O’Donoghue are both top open riders and likely starters at some of the early season rodeos in Queensland.

While the majority of the action so far this year in the APRA has been in the southern states, the first 11 rodeos of the new season which starts on May 1 will be in Queensland.

The first rodeo of the season will be at Rockhampton on May 2 and the 11^th in Queensland for the season will be the richest rodeo in the nation, the Mt Isa Rotary Rodeo, on August 7-9.

Some of the competitors who compete at Mt Isa will head to the Northern Territory for rodeos at Katherine on August 22 and Darwin on August 29.

Winners: Roma Bull Ride

Round 1 – Sam Champ 85 points

Round 2 – No scores

Emerald Rodeo

Bull ride – Troy Wilkinson 84

Saddle Bronc – Mark Walsh 75

Bareback – David Worsfold 75

Rope and Tie – Campbell Hodson 9.9

Steer Wrestling – Kacey Kenny 4.0

Team Roping – Campbell Hodson and Liam Davison 4.6

Barrel Racing – Emma Peters 16.4

Breakaway Roping – Angela Pokarier 2.6

Roma Rodeo

Saddle Bronc – Jack Capewell 79

Bull Ride – Troy Wilkinson and Roy Dunn 82

Bareback – Matthew Makinson 78

Rope and Tie – Shane Iker 9.75 seconds

Steer Wrestling – Shane Iker 4.4

Team Roping – Brody Moss and Shane Iker 7.2

Barrel Racing – Adele Edwards 17.509

Breakaway Roping – Angela Pokarier 2.7

APRA RODEO PROGRAM: May 2 Rockhampton; May 23 Nebo; May 29 Bundaberg Show Rodeo; June 6-7 Bowen River; July 10 Emerald Bull Ride; July 10-11 Junior National Finals Rodeo at Emerald; July 11 Emerald Rodeo; July 18 Taroom; July 25 Richmond; July 31-August 1 Cloncurry Merry Muster Rodeo; August 7-9 Mt Isa Rotary Rodeo.