SAM CHAMP TO COMPETE ON EASTER RUN

Photo of Sam Champ by Dave Ethell – www.dephotos.com.au

MELDALE cowboy Sam Champ might be the rider to bring a championship buckle back to the south-east corner after the Warwick Rodeo Australian Championships later this year.

Champ is currently second on Australian Professional Rodeo Association standings in the bull ride behind Proserpine rider Roy Dunn.

On the Easter long weekend, Champ recorded a score of 85 to win the Good Friday bull ride at Roma, seven points in front of runner up Sonny Schafferius from Dysart.

Schafferius capped a successful weekend with a third at the Roma Rodeo on Easter Sunday  behind joint winners Dunn and Upper Horton (NSW) rider Troy Wilkinson who split first with 82.

At the Emerald Easter Sunflower Festival Rodeo, Wilkinson won with 84 points from Dunn on 79. Charlie Colless was third on 75 and Schafferius fourth with a score of 74 at Emerald.

Champ lives at Meldale near Caboolture, an area which has also produced star bull riding brothers Martin and Matthew Carlo.

Dunn will go into the final at the Warwick Rodeo in a strong position as he has a clear lead in the standings. Every dollar won will mean one point in the battle for the national title over four rounds at the October 22-25 championship rodeo in Warwick.

This season has been Dunn’s best on the bull riding circuit and he will be aiming to win his first title in the APRA. A feature of his season was wins in the final and aggregate at Mt Isa.

Alton Downs cowboy Shane Iker was the major winner at Roma with victories in the rope and tie, steer wrestling and team roping in combination with standings leader Brody Moss, of Emerald.

The last rodeo for the current season is at Alstonville on April 25 and many riders will make the trip to the Northern Rivers in quest of points to make the top-15 to qualify for the Australian championships.

The new season will start with a rodeo for championship points at Rockhampton on May 2.

Winners: Roma Bull Ride

Round 1 – Sam Champ 85 points

Round 2 – No scores

Emerald Rodeo

Bull ride – Troy Wilkinson 84

Saddle Bronc – Mark Walsh 75

Bareback – David Worsfold 75

Rope and Tie – Campbell Hodson 9.9

Steer Wrestling – Kacey Kenny 4.0

Team Roping – Campbell Hodson and Liam Davison 4.6

Barrel Racing – Emma Peters 16.4

Breakaway Roping – Angela Pokarier 2.6

Roma Rodeo

Saddle Bronc – Jack Capewell 79

Bull Ride – Troy Wilkinson and Roy Dunn 82

Bareback – Matthew Makinson 78

Rope and Tie – Shane Iker 9.75 seconds

Steer Wrestling – Shane Iker 4.4

Team Roping – Brody Moss and Shane Iker 7.2

Barrel Racing – Adele Edwards 17.509

Breakaway Roping – Angela Pokarier 2.7

APRA RODEO PROGRAM: May 2 Rockhampton; May 23 Nebo; May 29 Bundaberg Show Rodeo; June 6-7 Bowen River; July 10 Emerald Bull Ride; July 10-11 Junior National Finals Rodeo at Emerald; July 11 Emerald Rodeo; July 18 Taroom; July 25 Richmond; July 31-August 1 Cloncurry Merry Muster Rodeo; August 7-9 Mt Isa Rotary Rodeo.