QLD RIDERS AT VICTORIAN RODEO

 THE McGuire-Spalding brothers from Queensland will compete in the Euroa Rodeo in Victoria on Saturday. (March 23)

The rodeo is at the Euroa Showgrounds and starts at 5pm Saturday.

The Euroa Rodeo is the only event in the Australian Professional Rodeo Association this weekend.

Stuart McGuire-Spalding is ninth in all around standings and 20^th in the rope and tie. His brother James has also nominated for the rope and tie at Euroa.

The brothers are grandsons of legendary cowboy Jim McGuire who called Taroom home during a long career in the sport.

There are 216 nominations in all eight championship events at Euroa.

The sport has a bright future going on the number of nominations in junior events.

There are 37 juniors in the barrel race and 29 in breakaway roping.

The juniors are all aiming to win prizemoney and finish in the top 10 at the end of the junior season in April to qualify for the national junior finals.

Cowboy leaders

FOUR cowboys from four states are within $1000 prizemoney of each other in the battle for the all around pro tour buckle in the APRA.

The buckle will be presented to the rider with the most prizemoney at September 30.

Victorian rider Terry Evison is in the lead from Yass (NSW) rider Clay Bush.

The ironman of rodeo, South Australian cowboy Tom Willoughby, is third and the most successful APRA cowboy in history Shane Kenny, of Emerald in Queensland, is fourth.

Willoughby is the only cowboy competing in five events in the APRA. He has nominated for three events at Euroa on Saturday, the bull ride, bareback bronc ride and steer wrestling but also competes in rope and tie, and team roping.

Kenny is competing in more southern rodeos this year than in 2018 and with many Queensland rodeo in the final six months of the APRA season, he is a strong chance to take the lead.

Clermont rodeo

THE first autumn rodeo in Queensland will be on March 30 at Clermont.

Large numbers of nominations are expected, especially due to the strength of rodeo in Central Queensland.

Emerald cowboy Shane Kenny will compete in the Clermont Rodeo and will also supply some of the timed event stock.

Michael Sypher, Ross Ford and Daryl Kleier are the other rodeo contractors providing stock for the rodeo at Clermont.

Rodeo action in Queensland will hot up again at Easter with two rodeos at both Roma and Emerald.

 Photo of Stuart McGuire-Spalding by Dave Ethell Photos