NSW STANDINGS LEADERS FROM LAVINGTON,

Photo of Ben Thorpe by Dave Ethell – www.dephotos.com.au

Photo of Stephanie Gard by Dave Ethell – www.dephotos.com.au

Photo of Ben Hall by Dave Ethell – www.dephotos.com.au

NSW standings leaders from Lavington, Tumbarumba and Young

YOUNG (NSW) cowboy Ben Thorp has taken the lead in the Australian Professional Rodeo Association bull ride standings.

Thorp showed outstanding form in the Victorian long weekend rodeos at Merrijig and Chiltern to score 84 and 83 in the bull ride, scores high enough to win at most rodeos.

With only three weeks of the current APRA season remaining, Thorp is set to go into The Warwick Rodeo Australian Championships on October 27-30 as the favourite for the title buckle.

While the finals format is designed so each competitor in the top-15 can win the title, the leaders have the inside running as they will take the most carryover points in the finals courtesy of prize money won during the season.

Lavington rider Stephanie Gard has the chance to go for back-to-back all around cowgirl titles.

Gard won the all around buckle at the finals at Warwick last year and leads the standings again in the current season.

Tumbarumba rider Ben Hall leads the bareback standings in the APRA and is the highest placed rough stock rider in the all around cowboy standings.

Hall is seventh in all around.

Three of the final rodeos in the current season will be in New South Wales, the Moree Show Rodeo on April 22, Ettamogah Pub Rodeo at Albury on April 24 and the Narrabri Show Rodeo on April 29.

STANDINGS LEADERS: All around Terry Evison (Lockington, Vic); saddle bronc John McNamee (Millmerran, Qld); bull ride Rod Thorp (Young, NSW); bareback Ben Hall (Tumbarumba, NSW); rope and tie Lee Kimber (Lockington, Vic); steer wrestling Errol Frain (Yeppoon, Qld); team roping header Terry Evison (Lockington, Vic), team roping header Aaron Bookluck (Nilma North, Vic), all around cowgirl Stephanie Gard (Lavington, NSW); barrel race Shianne O’Donoghue-Kent (Bunyip, Vic); breakaway roping Elley Hulls (Leongatha, Vic).

APRA PROGRAM: April 15 Warwick Heritage Week Concretors Bull Ride; April 22 Moree Show Rodeo; April 24 Ettamogah Pub Rodeo, Albury; April 29 Narrabri Show Rodeo; May 1 St George (Qld) Show Rodeo; May 7 Nebo Rodeo; May 27 Bundaberg Show Rodeo.

More information 07 4661 8183.