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THE biggest weekend of rodeo in Victoria for the season will feature all eight Australian Professional Rodeo Association championship events at Kyabram, Merrijig and Chiltern on the long weekend. (March 7-9)

Nomination numbers are between 280 and 299 at all three APRA rodeos.

Queensland roper Shane Kenny has won 31 titles in the APRA to be the most successful cowboy in history and will compete in all three Victorian rodeos this weekend.

While Kenny might be the most successful rider in the field this weekend, Maldon (Vic) cowboy Toby Collins could be described as the ironman of the sport.

He has nominated in the saddle bronc, bull ride and bareback bronc ride at all three rodeos.

Collins is the only rider in the APRA to regularly compete in all three rough stock events at the one rodeo.

Some cowboys compete in two but the majority concentrate on one event.

Collins returned from competition in the United States in time to win the saddle bronc at Warwick in Queensland last October, one of the two richest rodeos on the APRA program.

He will start the weekend on Friday night with a rodeo at the Kyabram Showgrounds.

Saturday action will be at McCormack Park at Merrijig and then at the Chiltern Racecourse Reserve on Sunday.

With less than two months left in the APRA season, many Queensland and New South Wales riders are making the effort to head south in quest of prize money to boost their chances of a top-15 finish and qualification for the National Finals Rodeo on May 1-4 at the Queensland State Equestrian Centre at Caboolture.

Collins is fourth in APRA saddle bronc standings and fifth in the bareback and certain to qualify in the top 15 in both events for the NFR in May.

He is currently 12th in the bull ride so needs some places this weekend to make sure he will be in three events at the finals at Caboolture.

Collins won’t get it all his own way at the three rodeos as APRA bull ride standings leader Fraser Babbington will make the trip south.

Babbington is the current titleholder in the bull ride and has won almost twice as much money as the next best in the current APRA season.

Originally from New Zealand, Babbington now calls Beaudesert in Queensland home. He also holds the record for the highest individual score in the bull ride in the history of the APRA.

Collins and Babbington will face tough opposition this weekend from former world rookie bull ride and all around champion Brad Pierce who will make the trip from the cattle country of Tooma in New South Wales.

Kyabram rider Hayden Tyrrell will have plenty of home town support at the Kyabram Showgrounds on Friday night in his one event, the bull ride.

Mansfield rider Will Purcell has just broken into the top 15 in the bull ride and is in the best form of his career going into this weekend’s rodeo.

Victorian Rodeo Program: March 7 Kyabram; March 8 Merrijig; March 9 Chiltern; March 22 Ballarat; April 4 Corryong Man From Snowy River Rodeo; April 18 Great Western Rodeo; April 19 Tallangatta, Omeo; April 20 Buchan; April 21 Lang Lang.

More information or requests for photos to APRA office on 07 4661 8183.

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