TASMANIAN RIDERS EYE OFF NFR

Photo of Gary King by Dave Ethell – www.dephotos.com.au

Riders from Stowport, Penguin, Oatlands and Bracknell eye off national rodeo finals

STOWPORT cowboy Larry Elphinstone has made a late charge for the spot in the Warwick Rodeo Australian Championships in the Australian Professional Rodeo Association.

The top 15 in each of the eight APRA championship events at the end of the season on April 30 will qualify for the championships rodeo in Warwick later this year.

Elphinstone was 20^th in steer wrestling standings going into the round of four Victorian and three Queensland rodeos at Easter.

He won at Lang Lang and Great Western in Victoria to challenge for the top 15 with only one rodeo remaining for the season at Alstonville in New South Wales on Anzac Day.

It was a top long weekend for Tasmanian riders with Luke Hamilton, of Stowport, winning the steer wrestling at Buchan. Penguin rider Gary King was the rope and tie winner at Buchan.

Hamilton is virtually assured of qualifying for steer wrestling and the rope and tie at the Australian championships while Gary King is a chance in both the rope and tie and team roping.

Bull rider Bradley Franklin (Bracknell), team roper Ty King (Penguin), barrel racer Jodi King (Penguin) and breakaway roper Karen Fish Jnr (Oatlands) are all strong chances for a top-15 finish and qualification for the Australian championships.

Most of the riders in the running for top-15 spots had success at the final Tasmanian APRA rodeo for the season at Gowrie Park.

Franklin won the bull ride, Hamilton the rope and tie, Ty King and Michael Groves were first in team roping, Jodi King was best in the barrel race and Fish won breakaway roping.

Dylan Clark won the saddle bronc and steer wrestling double at Gowrie Park and Adam Clark was victorious in the bareback.