APRA JUNIOR FINAL CONTESTANTS

Riders from three states head to Beaudesert for APRA junior finals.

RIDERS from three states headed to Beaudesert last weekend for the Junior National Finals Rodeo in the Australian Professional Rodeo Association.

The top-10 in each state have qualified for the finals.

The junior finals was held in conjunction with the Beaudesert Rodeo which attracted good nominations in rough stock and timed events, including 37 in both breakaway roping and the barrel race.

Two of the best known in the JNFR will be Lavington, Victoria, siblings Benjamin and Stephanie Gard.

Benjamin is in all three events, he qualified second in the steer ride, seventh in the barrel race and fourth in breakaway roping.

Stephanie has been near the top in the standings in open events so is a strong chance of winning a junior title. She is ranked second in the barrel race and third in breakaway roping.

Stuart McGuire-Spalding will head the Queensland contingent at the finals, he finished second in breakaway roping standings standings and fifth in the steer ride.

Like his grandfather, legendary cowboy the late Jimmy McGuire, Stuart comes from Taroom and wins at both ends of the arena, rough stock and timed events.

Megan Pohlman might only be fifth in the standings in breakaway roping but showed her class by winning the open title in the APRA in June last year at the Gold Coast Convention Centre.

Another rider to watch in breakaway roping and the barrel race is Mt Tarampa (Qld) cowgirl Cheyenne Whitwell who was second in the aggregate in the barrel race at last season’s open finals.

The leaders in all three events will be presented with buckles at the finals for winning the junior pro tours.

Upper Horton (NSW) rider Jackson Gill, the brother of top bullrider Ryan Gill, won the pro tour buckle in the steer ride.

Victorian star Shianne O’Donoghue-Kent, of Bunyip, finished the season as the top barrel racer while Alton Downs (Qld) rider Jordan Austin-Iker led the end of season standings in breakaway roping.

Finalists in order of ranking

1. Jackson Gill - Upper Horton, NSW

2. Benjamin Gard – Lavington, Vic

3. Sally Malay – Pelluebla, Vic

4. Lane Pendergast - Book Book, NSW

5. Stuart McGuire-Spalding – Taroom, Qld

6. Luke Rosetta – Mayrung, Vic

7. Mathew Isaac – Narrandera, NSW

8. Shane Austin - Nagambie, Vic

9. Cameron Southern – Thallon, Qld

10. Cody Ballard, Tumut, NSW

JUNIOR BARREL RACE

1. ShianneO’Donoghue-Kent – Bunyip, Vic

2. Stephanie Gard - Lavington, Vic

3. Montana O’Toole - Gracemere, Qld

4. Tammy Woodall - Winnap, Vic

5. Montana O’Donoghue-Kent – Bunyip, Vic

6. Teal Ayers - Roma, Qld

7. Benjamin Gard - Lavington, NSW

8. Wendy Batchelor - Grong Grong, NSW

9. Cheyenne Whitwell – Mt Tarampa, Qld

10. Dusty McPhee – Lurg, Vic

JUNIOR BREAKAWAY ROPING

1. Jordan Austin-Iker – Alton Downs, Vic

2. Stuart McGuire-Spalding – Taroom, Qld

3. Stephanie Gard – Lavington, Vic

4. Benjamin Gard – Lavington, Vic

5. Megan Pohlman – Gatton, Qld

6. Luke Flanagan – St Arnaud, Vic

7. Cheyenne Whitwell – Mt Tarampa, Qld

8. Justin Scoggin – Quirindi, NSW

9. Chelsea Heard – Caniambo, Vic

10. Luke Rosetta – St Arnaud, Vic