FAVOURITES FOR NFR

Photo of Errol Frain by Stephen Mowbray – www.stephenmowbrayphotography.com

Photo of Terry Evison by Dave Ethell – www.dephotos.com.au

YEPPOON rider Errol Frain will be the shortest priced favourite going into The Warwick Rodeo Nationals Finals in October after a runaway win in the battle for the 2016 standings lead in Australian Professional Rodeo Association steer wrestling.

Frain has been one of the stars of APRA steer wrestling down the years but increased his travelling in the season to April 30 to win twice as much prize money as the next best, Lockington (Victoria) star Terry Evison.

  Central Queensland pair Shane Iker and Cameron Bell make up the top four.

Iker is a past APRA all around champion and a strong chance again this year while Bell has previously won the title buckle in steer wrestling.

It is more than five months to the 2016 national finals but the top-15 qualifiers in each event will need to keep competing to maintain their form in the lead up to the October 27-30 national finals at the Warwick Showgrounds.

Frain and Bell are specialists in steer wrestling while Evison and Iker compete in all three timed events for cowboys and both have the ability to win the all around cowboys title at The Warwick Rodeo Australian Championships.

APRA members are going into one of the quietist periods of the year with only one rodeo remaining in May at Bundaberg on May 27 and then a rare two-day rodeo at Bowen River in North Queensland on June 11-12. Most APRA rodeos are over one day.

Action will then hot up with the start of the Northern Run at Emerald on July 8-9.

The Junior National Finals Rodeo will be held at Emerald for a second time on July 8-9 and then a full championship points rodeo on July 9 will coincide with Emerald Ag Grow.

While the top-15 to April 30 have qualified for the national finals in Warwick this year, the new season standings have started and riders will have to September 30 next year to secure prize money and points in the battle for the top-15 spots in the run-up to the 2017 finals in Warwick.

With Warwick being confirmed as the venue for the national finals for the next three years, the end of the season has been moved to September 30 which means the current season will go for 17 months.

Program: May 27 – Bundaberg Show Rodeo Qld; June 11-12 – Bowen River Rodeo, Qld; July 8-9 – Junior National Finals Rodeo, Emerald, Qld; July 9 – Emerald Ag Grow Rodeo, Qld; July 30 – Taroom Rodeo, Qld

More information from APRA on 46618183.