| NEXT RODEO: |
| TRARALGON RODEO | DECEMBER 09 | ENTRY DATES: 29/30 November |
| VICTORIAN BULL RIDING TITLES | DECEMBER 15 | ENTRY DATES: December 6/7 |
| BAROSSA TIMED EVENT RODEO, SA | DECEMBER 16 | ENTRY DATES: December 6/7 |
| MYRTLEFORD RODEO | DECEMBER 26 | ENTRY DATES: December 6/7 |
| BUNDALONG TAVERN RODEO, VIC | DECEMBER 29 | ENTRY DATES: December 6/7 |
| CARRIETON RODEO, SA | DECEMBER 31 | ENTRY DATES: December 13/14 |
| TUMBARUMBA NEW YEARS DAY RODEO, NSW | JANUARY 01 | ENTRY DATES: December 13/14 |
| KATAMATITE LIONS RODEO, VIC | JANUARY 06 | ENTRY DATES: December 13/14 |
| ALEXANDRA RODEO, VIC | JANUARY 13 | ENTRY DATES: January 20/21 |
| PETERBOROUGH RODEO | JANUARY 13 | ENTRY DATES: December 20/21 |
Photo of Luke Hamilton by Dave Ethell – www.dephotos.com.au
AFTER winning one of the championship rounds in 2015, Stowport rider Luke Hamilton has started his run for championship finals spots in the Australian Professional Rodeo Association this year.
Hamilton won the first round of the steer wrestling at the Warwick Rodeo Australian Championships in October and was fourth in round 2.
In the first rodeo for the new year in Tasmania, he won the steer wrestling and rope and tie at Carrick.
Going into the rodeo at Carrick, Hamilton was 19th in the rope and tie and outside of the top 20 in steer wrestling.
The top-15 at April 30 will qualify for the eight championship events for this year’s finals.
At the start of this year, five Tasmanian were in the top 20 in their respective events.
Ty King (Penguin) was 20th in saddle bronc, Adam Clark (Penguin) 19th in bareback, Hamilton (Stowport) 19th and Gary King (Penguin) 20th in the rope and tie, and Michael Groves (Evandale) 20th in team roping header standings. Clark won the bareback at Carrick to further boost his championship chances.
Tasmanian rider Shayleigh Ingelse (Gunns Plains) was 14th in all around cowgirls standings and Jodi King (Penguin) 19th.
Ingelse maintained her early season form with a third in the barrel race and fourth in breakaway roping at Carrick.
The Tasmanian riders will need to keep winning in their home state and place in some Victorian rodeos on the March long weekend or at Easter to ensure they will be in the top-15 for the championships.
PROGRAM: January 26 Harveydale (Tas); January 30 Ulverstone (Tas), Wilmington (SA), Wagga Wagga (NSW); February 6 Peterborough (SA), XXXX Gold Xtreme Bulls at Penrith (NSW); February 13 Ballarat (Vic), Ross (Tas); February 20 Hay Twilight Rodeo (NSW), Lillico (Tas), XXXX Gold Xtreme Bulls Dubbo (NSW); February 27 Millmerran Show Rodeo (Qld), Narrandera (NSW), Powranna Bull Ride and Rodeo (Tas), Whittlesea (Vic).
OPEN WINNERS CARRICK (Tas): Bareback Adam Clark 65; rope and tie Luke Hamilton 14.4; steer wrestling Luke Hamilton 4.34; team roping Ty King and Gary King 11.1; barrel race Michelle Harvey 14.791; breakaway roping Danielle Marshall 2.95.
More information APRA on 07 46618183
