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Ty Thomson wrote his name into the Australian Professional Rodeo Association (APRA) record books at the Merrijig Rodeo on March 11 when registering a record-equalling score in the Open Bull Ride.

Riding Gary McPhee’s ‘Mr Fabulous’, Thomson put on a show for what turned out to be a boisterous local crowd, scoring 93 points to take the win and the $2700 first prize.

The effort equals previous marks set by Fraser Babbington on McPhee Rodeo Co's "No Smokin" at Chiltern Rodeo 2008 and by Troy Wilkinson on Gill Brothers' 'Hillbilly Deluxe' at Xtreme Bulls Penrith 2019.

“It’s pretty unreal, considering I’m now up there next to Troy and Fraser,’ Thomson said.

“They will go down as some of the greatest bull riders in Australia, if not the world, and it’s good to have your name up there at a pretty young age and to be mixing it with the best.”

The Wee Waa product, who now calls Aratula home, didn’t remember too much of the ride, but he knew it was a good result once he dismounted Mr Fabulous.

“To be honest, I don’t really know what I felt or how it went,” Thomson said.

“It was over and done with before it happened, but when you hear everyone cheering and clapping, and people come up and start congratulating you, that’s when it starts sinking in and you realise you’ve had a pretty decent ride.

Mr Fabulous is a consistent bucker, which threw Thomson off at Kyabram the night before, but the 22-year-old was determined to get back on him at Merrijig and show his worth on in-form bull.

“I was pretty keen to get on and get him done after getting bucked off the night before,” he said.

“I’ve waited a long time to see my name next to him on the draw and there is no rubbish in him, and he just bucks, and you know what you’re going to get, and if you can do your job, you’re going to get a win on him every time.”

The Queensland cowboy heaped praise on Gary McPhee and Mr Fabulous, suggesting he could get the job done anywhere in Australia.

“They have had a lot of good stock over the years, and they’re always consistent like that,” he said.

“And always in the bull ride; they have their standouts every year, and you could take him (Mr Fabulous) anywhere in the county, and that bull would fit into any pen and do a good job.”

The 2022 APRA National Finals Rodeo (NFR) champion will head to Wollongong this weekend for the $50,000 Rodeo 4 Life, before turning his attention towards the eastern run, which includes events at Emerald and Roma next month.

As far as the Merrijig Rodeo, the always-popular event was part and parcel of the annual Tri-Series, which included the Kyabram Rode on March 10 and Chiltern Rodeo on March 12, and Thomson said it was another good weekend of thrills and spills.

“It’s always one to look forward to and go down to and it’s just a good weekend for rodeoing,” he said.
“If you can get the ball rolling for the first one, and win a bit of money, you can make it a good one with three rodeos in three days, and you’re back home pretty quickly.”

It wasn’t just Thomson in good form during the Tri-Series, with fellow Open Bull Riders on song.

Troy Wilkinson took top honours at Kyabram with an 82-point ride on Cream Puff, while Cameron Southern was the winner at Chiltern, with the cowboy also registering an 82-point ride.

On the APRA circuit, it’s a busy weekend, with the Camden Extreme Bulls taking centre stage in NSW on Friday, while on Saturday, there is the Preston Rodeo in Tasmania, the Farm World Rodeo in Lardner Victoria, and the Alpha Pro Rodeo in Queensland.

Photos: Ty Thomson rode Gary McPhee’s Mr Fabulous to a record-equalling 93 points at the Merrijig Rodeo on March 11. Photo: Min McCormack Photography

Story: Jeff Hanson

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