HIGHEST PLACED QLD BREAKAWAY ROPER

Photo of Jorja Iker by Dave Ethell – www.dephotos.com.au

ALTON Downs rider Jorja Iker is the highest-placed Queenslander going into The Carlton Dry Warwick Rodeo National Finals in Breakaway Roping on October 27-30 at the Warwick Showgrounds.

The top 15 in all eight APRA championship events in the Australian Professional Rodeo Association will compete in the National Finals in Warwick over  four rounds.

Iker finished the 2015-2016 season placed fourth on the standings.

Victorian rider Elley Hulls, of Leongatha, won the most money on the pro tour and will go into the National Finals with the most carryover points from the season.

The biggest threat to all riders will be reigning champion Cherie O’Donoghue from Lockington in Victoria who won her third title in the event last year in Warwick. O’Donoghue has also won six All Around Cowgirl titles and has a chance in Warwick to win her first Barrel Racing title as she goes into the Nationals Finals in sixth place.

Roma rider Teal Ayers has won junior titles in the APRA and has the chance to go for an open title in the Breakaway Roping at Warwick. She is in seventh place in the standings.

There are four past champions in the Breakaway Roping finals, O’Donoghue, Moree rider Wendy Caban, 2014 winner Stephanie Gard from Table Top (NSW) and Taroom (Qld) cowgirl Sharon McGuire. McGuire won the breakaway roping titles in 1985 and 2002 and is the daughter of five times APRA All Around Cowboy Champion Jim McGuire.

The all around cowgirl title will also be up for grabs in Warwick with O’Donoghue, Gard and Lockyer Valley rider Cheyenne Whitwell all in two events at the finals and eligible for the all around.

The four rounds of the Finals in Warwick will be on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday night and the Sunday afternoon.

COWGIRL FINALISTS

BARREL RACE 1 Shianne O'Donoghue -Kent VIC, 2 Stephanie Gard NSW, 3 Adele Edwards NSW, 4 Ellie Gard NSW, 5 Suzie Fearon QLD, 6 Cherie O'Donoghue VIC, 7 Jo Caldwell NSW, 8 Leslie Moore VIC, 9 Julie Breed VIC, 10 Cheyenne Whitwell QLD, 11 Montana O'Toole QLD, 12 Teneille Little NSW, 13 Dusty McPhee VIC , 14 Tenielle Middleton QLD, 15 Karly Morgan QLD.

BREAKAWAY ROPING: 1 Elley Hulls VIC, 2 Cherie O'Donoghue VIC, 3 Stephanie Gard NSW, 4 Jorja Iker QLD, 5 Kelly Westlake NSW, 6 Wendy Caban NSW, 7 Teal Ayers QLD, 8 Anna McPhee VIC , Sharon McGuire QLD, 10 Jessica Layton VIC , 11 Jemma Dowling QLD, 12 Cheyenne Whitwell QLD, 13 Rebecca Van Houten NSW, 14 Danielle Marshall TAS, 15 Angela Pokarier QLD.