| NEXT RODEO: |
| VICTORIAN BULL RIDING TITLES | DECEMBER 15 | ENTRY DATES: December 6/7 |
| BAROSSA TIMED EVENT RODEO, SA | DECEMBER 16 | ENTRY DATES: December 6/7 |
| MYRTLEFORD RODEO | DECEMBER 26 | ENTRY DATES: December 6/7 |
| BUNDALONG TAVERN RODEO CANCELLED | DECEMBER 29 | ENTRY DATES: |
| CARRIETON RODEO, SA | DECEMBER 31 | ENTRY DATES: December 13/14 |
| TUMBARUMBA NEW YEARS DAY RODEO, NSW | JANUARY 01 | ENTRY DATES: December 13/14 |
| KATAMATITE LIONS RODEO, VIC | JANUARY 06 | ENTRY DATES: December 13/14 |
| ALEXANDRA RODEO, VIC | JANUARY 13 | ENTRY DATES: January 20/21 |
| PETERBOROUGH RODEO | JANUARY 13 | ENTRY DATES: December 20/21 |
| CARRICK BULL RIDE, TAS | JANUARY 13 | ENTRY DATES: December 20/21 |
FIVE New South Wales riders are in the top six in bull ride standings in the Australian Professional Rodeo Association.
Standings are used to determine the top 15 qualifiers for the National Finals Rodeo which is scheduled at the Queensland State Equestrian Centre at Caboolture on May 1-4.
The top riders in each of the eight championship events in the APRA will win the pro tour.
Currently, Beaudesert (Qld) rider Fraser Babbington is the runaway lead in the standings from five cowboys from the premier state.
Past APRA bull ride title winner Rhys Angland, of Wantabadgery, is second and Troy Wilkinson, of Upper Horton, third.
Wilkinson returned home from competing in America in time to win the aggregate at the Warwick Rodeo in October from Babbington. He was the only rider to make time on two bulls.
Moore Creek rider Lachlan Slade is fourth, Tim Amey, of Majors Creek, fifth and Wagga Wagga cowboy Sean Lynch sixth.
Babbington won the first round, final and aggregate at Mt Isa to score 171, four points in front of Dingo rider Ryan Storey who scored 81 and 86 in his two rides at the richest rodeo on the circuit.
The Beaudesert cowboy also holds the APRA record for the highest individual score in the bull ride so can rightly claim to be one of the kings of the most extreme event of all, professional bull riding.
Amey split first with Babbington in round 1 at Mt Isa in August with a score of 83 and was fifth in the final to finish third in the aggregate
With four months of the season to go, the cowboys have their best chance to consolidate a top-15 spot in seven rodeos on the Christmas Run in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
There are rodeos in most states in the first four months of next year but the best chance of boosting standings will be the Christmas Run and three rodeos on the Victorian long weekend in March.
The next NSW rodeo is on Saturday at Rosewood in the Riverina.
Action in Queensland will hot up at Nebo on December 31, a rodeo town made famous by star steer wrestler Jarrod Deguara.
APRA PROGRAM: December 7 Rosewood (NSW); December 26 Myrtleford Golden Spurs 60th Rodeo (Victoria); December 28 Deniliquin (NSW), Carrieton (SA); December 30 Yarrawonga (Vic); December 31 Nebo (Qld); January 1 Tumbarumba (NSW); January 3 Finley (NSW); January 4 Beechworth (Vic); January 18 Stony Creek (Vic).
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