TWO TASMANIAN COWBOYS GO TO NFR

Photo of Larry Elphinstone by Dave Ethell – www.dephotos.com.au

TWO Tasmanian cowboys have qualified for the steer wrestling at the Warwick Rodeo Australian Championships on October 22-25.

Luke Hamilton, of Natone will go into the championships in 7^th place on the standings and Stowport cowboy Larry Elphinstone will be 14^th.

The championships will put the top-15 in all eight Australian Professional Rodeo Association events head-to-head in the battle for title buckles.

Hamilton has the best chance of the two Tasmanians to win a title as he goes into the four championship rounds in 7^th place. Riders will take some carry-over points into the championships after their performances in the 2015 season so the higher the placing, the more points accrued.

Elphinstone has the chance to go for a title buckle as the championship format has been designed so riders placed near the bottom of the top-15 still have a chance to win the title with an outstanding performance in all four rounds of the finals.

The Hedlund brothers from Junee and the Kenny brothers from Emerald will be four of the riders to beat.

Matt and Jack Hedlund from Junee in the Riverina area of New South Wales are in steer wrestling along with Shane Kenny and his younger brother Kacey from Emerald in Central Queensland.

In the 2015 season, Matt was second in standings behind leader Lee Kimber, the APRA executive chairman who hails from Lockington in Victoria.

Kacey Kenny was third in standings, Shane Kenny 11^th and Jack Hedlund 14^th.

Of the brothers, only Shane Kenny has previously won a title in a total of 31 in all around, rope and tie, steer wrestling and team roping titles. Shane won steer wrestling in 1997, 1998 and 2000.

With riders taking some carry-over points into the championships from their season prize money, Matt Hedlund and Kacey Kenny have the advantage over their brothers but the championship format has been designed so riders placed near the bottom of the top-15 still have a chance to win the title with an outstanding performance in all four rounds of the finals.

The brothers won’t get it all their own way in the championships as Kimber goes into his best event as number one.

Victorian star Terry Evison from Willung is fourth in steer wrestling and a strong title chance along with past all around champion Shane Iker who is fifth.

Cameron Bell from Central Queensland, who won in 2005 and 2013, is 15^th in the standings so will need to show his class from round 1 in Warwick if he is to win a third title.

Championship qualifier Rod Thorp from New South Wales is the other past title winner in the championships after victory in 2004.

There will be second-division and junior events at the Warwick Rodeo Australian Championships along with the best-of-the-best in the championship finals.

Two APRA rodeos will be held in Tasmania in the new two months, the Hobart Show Bulls and Barrels on October 21 and the Melton Mowbray rodeo on November 7.

APRA Program: October 4 Marrabel (SA); October 21 Hobart Show Bulls and Barrels (Tas); October 22-25 Warwick Rodeo Australian Championships (Qld); November 7 Melton Mowbray (Tas); November 14 Kapunda (SA); November 28 Emerald Drought Relief Appeal Rodeo (Qld); December 5 Rosewood (NSW).

More information APRA 07 4661 8183

Steer wrestling qualifiers going into Warwick (positions 1-15): Lee Kimber VIC, Matt Hedlund NSW, Kacey Kenny QLD, Terry Evison VIC,  Shane Iker QLD, Mark Gibb QLD, Luke Hamilton TAS, Rod Thorp NSW, George Wheeler QLD, Andrew Jansen QLD, Shane Kenny QLD, Clancy Middleton QLD, Jack Hedlund NSW, Larry Elphinstone TAS, Cameron Bell QLD.