UPPER Horton (NSW) cowboy Jackson Gill has started the 2016 year with form on the board.

He won one of the two bull ride winners over the New Year weekend at Alton Downs in Queensland.

Gill made the trek to Alton Downs in Central Queensland where his family, Gill Brothers, provided the bucking stock for the first full rodeos to be held at the Lazy Acres complex just west of Rockhampton.

He scored 85, one of the best scores of the season, to win, from runner-up Clint Glass who scored 62.

Gill and Glass were the only two to record a score in the New Year’s Eve Rodeo. The next day Northern Territory rider Beau Willis was victorious in the bull ride with a score of 81.5.

The major winners in timed events at Alton Downs were members of the Kenny and Iker families who chalked up 13 placings between them.

APRA current titleholder and rope and tie standings leader Shane Kenny, of Emerald, increased his lead with wins each day in the two rodeos at Alton Downs. He also had a fourth in steer wrestling.

It was the same for the Iker family with Jorja, of Alton Downs, winning the breakaway roping each day with times of 2.25 seconds and 2.0 seconds, top performances in a sport where the record is 1.75 seconds.

New South Wales riders had the choice over the New Year weekend to compete at Yarrawonga (Vic) and Tumbarumba (NSW) or head north to Alton Downs.

Ben Hall won the bareback at his hometown rodeo at Tumbarumba while Rod Thorp from Young won the steer wrestling at Yarrawonga. Gundagai rider Adele Edwards was first in the barrel race at Yarrawonga and second at Tumbarumba.

Alton Downs open winners: Rodeo 1 ­­– Saddle bronc - Allan Powell; bull ride Jackson Gill; bareback David Worsfold; rope and tie Shane Kenny; steer wrestling Ryley Gibb; team roping Jeff Miller and Jesse Townsend; barrel racing Teal Ayers; breakaway roping Jorja Iker.

Rodeo 2 – Saddle bronc Greg Hamilton; bull ride Beau Willis; bareback David Worsfold; rope and tie Shane Kenny; steer wrestling Kacey Kenny; team roping Cameron Milner and Clancy Middleton; barrel race Cheyenne Whitwell; breakaway roping Jorja Iker.

PROGRAM: January 16 Yarra Valley (Vic); January 26 Harveydale (Tas); January 30 Ulverstone (Tas), Wilmington (SA), Wagga Wagga (NSW); February 6 Peterborough (SA); XXXX Gold Xtreme Bulls at Penrith (NSW); February 13 Ballarat (Vic), Ross (Tas);

More information APRA on 07 46618183