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MOYHU (Vic) cowboy Bryden Atkins will be one of the favourites for the open bull ride at the first rodeo in the Australian Professional Rodeo Association Christmas Run.

The Christmas Run starts with the Myrtleford Golden Spurs Rodeo on Boxing Day in north east Victoria and ends with the K Ranch Rodeo at Mt Hunter in New South Wales on January 6.

The eight rodeos are a great chance for APRA members to record placings and boost their position on the standings.

The top-15 in each of the eight APRA championship events will qualify for the Warwick Rodeo APRA National Finals in late October next year.

Some of the toughest opposition to Atkins will come from Canadian rider Michael Ostashek and United States cowboy Matt O’Flynn who have nominated for many of the Christmas Run rodeos.

Atkins won the APRA junior steer ride title each year from 2007 to 2009 before heading to America to study and compete at the Western Texas College in Snyder.

While in America, Atkins won the bull ride at two college rodeos, qualified for the Professional Roughstock Series finals and finished fifth in the United Bucking Bulls finals at Oklahoma.

“My goal in the next year is to win the APRA pro tour bull ride buckle and then win the national title,” he said.

At age 25, Atkins has the scores on the board to show he is a strong chance to win the title.

“I have two scores of 90, one of 89 and four or five scores of 88,” he said.

The APRA record is 93 but most riders who score 88 or above in a bull ride round head home with the winning prizemoney.

The season is only two months old but Atkins has already won a round and finished second in the average in the Xtreme Bulls event at Leppington in New South Wales.

He was second in a round and fourth in the average at the K Ranch Xtreme Bulls at Mt Hunter in New South Wales.

In between rodeos, Atkins works at cattle and sheep sales for stock and station agents Corcoran Parker in north east Victoria.

Atkins enjoys the travel in a sport where a six-hour trip is relatively short.

He travels mainly with fellow cowboys Kade Griffiths, Cody Gibbins and Tom Phibbs. All four compete in the bull ride while Phibbs also competes in the bareback bronc ride.

APRA rodeos

December 16: The Rock Pro Rodeo (NSW)

December 26: Myrtleford Golden Spurs Rodeo (Vic)

December 29: Yarrawonga Rodeo (Vic)

December 30: Carrieton Rodeo (SA)

December 30: Young Rodeo (NSW)

December 31: Smithton Rodeo (Tas)

December 31: Mitchell Rodeo (Qld)

January 1: Tumbarumba Rodeo (NSW)

January 3: Sweetwater Timed Event Rodeo, Tullakool (NSW)

January 5: Finley Rodeo (NSW)

January 6: K Ranch Rodeo, Mt Hunter (NSW).