The 27-year-old cowboy who is originally from Ravenshoe  joined the APRA  in February and was able to move up to second in the bull ride standings by the end of the season in September.

He didn’t place at the Warwick Rodeo APRA National Finals this year which has motivated him even more for next year.

“I want to win the rookie bull ride title, pro tour and the APRA title in 2020,” Markham said.

He is deadly serious about the new season and will spend four months of the season in Victoria in a period in which the majority of the southern rodeos are held.

In his first professional season, Markham won two of the three major rodeos in the APRA.

He scored 87.5 to win at Cloncurry and won overall at Mt Isa where he scored 85 on the bull Booger Man in the final.

“I was keen to score well on Booger Man as he was the bull which broke the back of good mate Sam O’Connor,” Markham said.

He has won two bull rides in one day and in one stretch jumped on one or more bulls each weekend except three in a period of 18 months.

Markham admits to a few injuries but the worst was when his liver was split in five places.

“I had the go ahead from the doctor to return to bull riding six weeks later,” he said.

The Mareeba cowboy plans to compete in the Carrieton Rodeo in South Australia early on the Christmas Run on December 28.

“I am good friends with Ron Woodall who contracts the bulls for Carrieton and Wilmington rodeos in South Australia,” he said.

While most riders talk about the adrenaline rush of bull riding, Markham is well past claiming he does it for the adrenaline.

“It is now the challenge, setting goals and trying to achieve them,” he said.

Markham’s success has been achieved without a major sponsor. 

“I am confident enough in my own ability to compete without a major sponsor but hope one comes on board soon,” he said.

He concentrates on the one event, the bull ride.

As for going in timed events down the track, Markham said he would need a few grey hairs before he tried timed events like roping and steer wrestling.

This weekend, there are two APRA rodeos, Streaky Bay in South Australia, and Wynyard in Tasmania.

The rodeo at Streaky Bay on Saturday is the first on the Eyre Peninsula for three decades.

There are two rodeos on December 7, Xtreme Bulls at Luddenham in New South Wales and the Deloraine Bulls, Broncs and Barrels in Tasmania.

 

Photo of Rohan Markham by Barry Richards Photography