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AFTER winning four of the past five breakaway roping contests in Queensland, Stacey Wilburn has secured a spot in the Australian Professional Rodeo Association national finals.

Wilburn won three breakaway roping contests on the Easter weekend at Destiny Downs at Emerald, the Easter rodeo at Emerald and Roma. She split third and fourth in the Ayers Timed Event Rodeo at Roma on Easter Monday.

Last weekend, she won the breakaway roping at the Blackwater Rodeo with a personal best time of 1.85 seconds.

That time was just outside the current APRA record of 1.75 seconds.

She has ridden her 16-year-old gelding Destination, by Acres Destiny, for the past decade and hopes the horse can take her to a national championship win.

As prizemoney won during the pro tour will earn points towards the national finals, each win on the circuit boosts Wilburn’s chances of winning her first open national finals title in breakaway roping.

Sons Royce, 9, and Wyatt, 5, are often on the circuit with Wilburn and her partner Ryan Gill.

She is originally from Benalla in Victoria and left school at age 14 to go rodeoing.

Wilburn now calls Upper Horton in New South Wales home.

“I am really keen on winning this year’s breakaway roping title,” she said.

At 29 years of age, Wilburn has a junior pro tour title in roping to her credit, She won the 2009 rookie title in breakaway roping in the APRA.

Wilburn and her twin sister Melissa are known as Stack and Mel when they travel the world for the Channel 9 program Travel Guides.

“We have been to 22 countries and give an honest opinion about our holiday experiences for Travel Guides,” she said.

“In South Africa, we went on a safari holiday which was both scary and amazing.”

Travelling around Australia on the rodeo circuit costs money and Stacey Wilburn said she could only do it through the support of sponsors Thomas Cook, Wrangler Australia, Twisted X Boots and Pure Western.

While breakaway roping is her main event, she occasionally competes in the ladies barrel race or team roping where she competes against the men.

Her next rodeo will be the Callide Valley Show Rodeo on May 18 at the Callide Valley Showgrounds at Biloela in Queensland and then at Nebo on May 25.

Wilburn is definite about competing in the Northern Run of rodeo from June to August in Queensland. The run starts with the Emerald Ensham Resources Rodeo on June 22 and ends with the Mt Isa Rodeo on August 8-11.

The junior national finals will be at Emerald on June 21-22 in conjunction with the Emerald Rodeo.

APRA Program

May 18: Callide Valley Show Rodeo, Biloela (Qld)

May 25: Mackay Toyota Nebo Rodeo (Qld)

May 31: Bundaberg Show Rodeo (Qld)

June 1: Moranbah Rodeo (Qld)

June 7: Bowen River Second Division Timed Events Rodeo (Qld)

June 8: Bowen River Saturday Rodeo (Qld)

June 9: Bowen River Sunday Rodeo (Qld)

June 21-22: Junior National Finals Rodeo, Emerald (Qld)

June 22: Emerald Ag Grow Rodeo (Qld)

July 20: Taroom Rodeo