FOUR cowboys will fly the flag for the north when the first Australian Professional Rodeo Association rodeo for the new season starts at Nebo on May 23.

Jarrod Deguara hails from the Nebo area and is one of the best steer wrestlers in the business and heavily involved in his hometown rodeo.

Roy Dunn will have the chance to travel to one of the two closest rodeos to his home at Proserpine when he lines up in the open bull ride at Nebo.

Dunn started last season with early success before leading the standings all season and has the form on the board to do the same this season.

Two of the best timed event riders in the business hail from North Queensland, Campbell Hodson from Townsville and Clancy Middleton from Hughenden.

Middleton led the team roping header standings at the end of the season to April 30 and is one cowboy just as likely to win the rope and tie or steer wrestling as team roping.

While the Warwick Rodeo Australian Championships, which will put the best 15 in each APRA event in a four-round battle for titles isn’t to October, the men and women of the APRA will be aiming to take the early lead in the new season standings, starting with a win at Nebo.

Rough stock for the Nebo Rodeo will be provided by Gill Brothers and Darren Branderberg and timed event stock will come from Destiny Cattle Company at Emerald.

One of the few two-day rodeos in the APRA will be at Bowen River on June 6-7.

Gill Brothers from Upper Horton in northern New South Wales will provide bucking stock for the Bowen River Rodeo.

APRA RODEO PROGRAM: 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; August 15 Katherine, August 22 Darwin; August 29 Alice Springs, Longreach.

More information from APRA on 07 4661 8183