She didn’t qualify for the Warwick Rodeo Australian Championships on October 22-25 this year but has already beaten some qualifiers early in the new season.

Miller won the barrel races at Nebo and Bundaberg in the season which started on May 1.

She has qualified for the national finals down the years and is on target to make it again next year.

In the past two decades, Miller, husband Jeff and son Kobe have lived at Emerald, Tamworth and Warwick, three strongholds of rodeo.

Their current hometown Warwick is ideally suited as a base for competitors keen to compete in rodeos across the eastern states.

Jeff and Kobe are also in top early season form combining for second in team roping at the Bundaberg Show Rodeo.

They showed their class by finished in between three of the best ropers in the nation.

Shane Kenny (Emerald) and Mark Knox (Ebenezer) won at Bundaberg with Kenny and Shane Iker (Alton Downs) third.

Kenny, Knox, Iker and Jeff Miller have all won all around cowboy titles in the APRA.

In many rodeos, cowboys are able to be part of two team roping combinations and Kenny ended up with two placings at Bundaberg.

The Northern Run starts at Emerald on July 10 and Shellie Miller will be one of the favourites in the barrel race.

The competition will be tougher than at the early season rodeo but she won both Nebo and Bundaberg convincingly so won’t be worried about the big names set to compete on the Northern Run.

Bundaberg open winners:

Saddle bronc – Allan Powell 69 points

Bull Ride ­- no scores so no placegetters

Bareback - Brian Gill 72

Rope and Tie - Mark Knox 9.65 seconds

Steer Wrestling – Shane Kenny 4.7

Team Roping – Shane Kenny and Mark Knox 5.45

Barrel Race – Shellie Miller 15.888

Breakaway roping – Katie Vaughan 3.95