10 March, 2020
CHARTERS TOWERS COWBOY BATTLES THE ODDS
A FINGER injury might have halted the rope and tie career of Jace Land but it has only made him more determined to win a steer wrestling title in the Australian Professional Rodeo Association.
Now based in Lockington (Vic), Land lost the tops of three fingers while practising rope and tie in his home state Queensland.
Doctors at a Brisbane hospital sewed two of the finger tops back on.
“It was great to get two of the fingers back which has allowed me to rope again,” Land said.
He occasionally competes in the rope and tie but is now concentrating on steer wrestling and team roping.
After five months of the APRA season, Land leads the standings in steer wrestling and rates a win at Wilmington in South Australia as his best performance so far.
Land believes he has one of the best steer wrestling horses on the circuit, Cutters, but is currently competing in Victoria on horses owned by close mate Terry Evison.
In team roping, he recorded a second at Yarrawonga and third at K Ranch during the Christmas Run of rodeos in the southern states.
After the Christmas Run, he has stayed in Victoria for a busy rodeo program in the first four months of the year.
Currently working at Lockington with Pine Grove Farming, Land will return to his hometown Charters Towers (Qld) after the Easter Run of rodeos in Victoria.
He will then compete in the Northern Run of rodeos in Queensland, including his favourite rodeo at Mt Isa in early August.
Land was always going to compete in rodeo following in the footsteps of his parents Stephen and Debra Land who both competed in the APRA.
In 2018, he won the pro tour in steer wrestling but this year wants to go one better and win the title. He has also won a rookie team roping header title.
The next two championship points rodeos are the Euroa Pro Rodeo in Victoria on March 21 and the Clermont Rodeo in Queensland on March 28.
There are five APRA rodeos in Victoria, four in Queensland and one in New South Wales on the Easter long weekend.
Victoria rodeo program
March 21: Euroa Apex Pro Rodeo
March 21: Clare Rodeo
March 21 Penrith Xtreme Bulls
March 27: Camden Xtreme Bulls
March 28: Clermont Rodeo
March 28: Griffith Pro Rodeo
April 4: Corryong Man From Snowy River Bush Festival Rodeo
April 10: Great Western Rodeo
April 10: Echuca Pro Rodeo
April 10: Roma Xtreme Bulls
April 10: Destiny Downs Timed Event Rodeo
April 11: Omeo High Country Rodeo
April 11: Deniliquin Rodeo
April 11: Emerald Easter Sunflower Festival Rodeo
April 12: Buchan Rodeo
April 12: Roma Pro Rodeo
April 13: Lang Lang Rodeo
April 24: Moree Show Rodeo
April 25: Homebush Rodeo
April 26-27: North West Anzac Weekend Rodeo, Cloncurry
More information 07 4661 8183
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