WINNING A RODEO ON NEW YEARS DAY

WINNING a rodeo on New Year's Day might be a start of a successful year for
Mt Tarampa cowboy Thomas Whitwell.
One of the youngest cowboys competing in open ranks, Thomas won the rope and
tie at the Tumbarumba Rodeo in New South Wales in 11.2 seconds.
He won from Lockington (Victoria) and former Kalbar (Qld) rider Lee Kimber
with Taroom cowboy Stuart McGuire-Spalding third.
Whitwell was fifth in steer wrestling at Tumbarumba to cap a fine New Year.
He also enjoyed team roping placings on the Christmas Run in the Australian
Professional Rodeo Association to show he could feature in all around
standings leaders in the years to come.
Thomas and his father Murray Whitwell were both in the top 15 in APRA team
roping standings at the beginning of the year.
In team roping, there are separate standings for the headers and heelers in
each team and both have to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo.
Finalists then determine their partners for the APRA National Finals Rodeo
at the Queensland State Equestrian Centre at Caboolture on May 1-4.
Currently Thomas is 12th in team roping heeler standings and Murray 13th in
header standings after both have won the same prizemoney in the first eight
months of the season.
While most of the early action in the APRA this year is in the southern
states, the Millmerran Show Rodeo will be held on March 1 after proving an
outstanding success in recent years.
After Millmerran, APRA Rodeos in Queensland are the Comet Benefit Rodeo in
Central Queensland on April 5 and the Emerald Rodeo on April 19.
Emerald will hold its rodeo on the Easter weekend when there are also two
rodeos in Victoria, the final chance for competitors to win prize money to
qualify in the top 15 for the National Finals Rodeo.
PROGRAM FOR NEXT MONTH: January 11 Carrick (Tas); January 18 Stony Creek
(Vic); January 25 Ulverstone (Tas), Wilmington (SA); January 26 Harveydale
(Tas); February 1 Ross (Tas), Warragul (Vic); February 8 Glengarry (Vic),
Hay (NSW); February 15 Wagga Wagga (NSW); February 22 Preston (Tas),
Narrandera (NSW), Whittlesea (Vic).