THREE ROOKIES TACKLE NORTHERN RUN

THE three top rookie cowboys in 2015 will be back on the rodeo circuit when the Northern Run starts in the Australian Professional Rodeo Association.

One of the two biggest runs in the association, the Northern Run will start at Emerald and end in the Northern Territory.

Last year, Roy Dunn (Prosperpine), Owen Lee (Toowoomba) and Sam Champ (Meldale) were the top three rookie cowboys in the APRA.

Dunn headed the standings from early in the season in the open bull ride and was well ahead at the end of the season on April 30.

The Mt Isa and Cloncurry rodeos rate with Warwick as two of the big three in the APRA.

Most rodeos are one day events with Cloncurry two, Mt Isa three and Warwick four days of rough stock and timed event action.

Dunn and Champ are two of the best bull riders in the nation while Lee had an outstanding year in the bareback.

The Emerald Rodeo will be a bonanza of action this year with the two day Junior National Finals between the top-10 in the nation.

There will be an open bull ride on the Friday night and then a championship rodeo with all eight events on the Saturday in conjunction with rounds of the junior finals.

Some of the junior finalists are already winning prize money in open events, including Alton Downs roper Jordan Iker and the Gard siblings from Table Top near Albury, Ellie and Benjamin.

The Northern Run will be the last group of rodeos before the top-15 in each open event head to the Warwick Rodeo Australian Championships on October 22-25 at the Warwick Showgrounds to go for title buckles.