VICTORIAN cowboys Toby Collins and Terry Evison will be two of the likely stars at the Ballarat Rodeo on Saturday.
There are 232 nominations for the rodeo, one of the final 10 in the Australian Professional Rodeo Association season which ends on April 30.
Collins hails from Maldon and is the one cowboy who competes on a regular basis in all three rough stock events, the saddle bronc, bareback bronc and bull rides.
Late last year, he competed in America and then flew into Australia in time to win the saddle bronc ride at the famous Warwick Rodeo in Queensland on the last weekend in October.
This season, he has performed best in saddle bronc and is currently second in the standings.
Collins is fifth in the bareback and 12th in the bull ride and only needs one win and some placings in the bull ride in the next month to ensure he qualifies in his three championship events for the National Finals Rodeo at the Queensland State Equestrian Centre at Caboolture on May 1-4.
Two of the toughest to beat in the saddle bronc at Ballarat will be Heyfield rider Lee Bowker and former champion Glen Kent who will travel from Strathalbyn in South Australia to compete.
Bowker won the bareback and was second in saddle bronc at Sale earlier this month in the first professional rodeo in the town for a decade.
Lurg contractor Garry McPhee will bring some of the best bucking stock in the nation to Ballarat on Saturday so the crowd is certain to witness all the thrills and spills of rodeo.
Evison is the top Victorian in APRA all around standings in third place. He lives at Willung and is third in the rope and tie, fourth in steer wrestling and 10th in team roping header standings.
Evison showed he is in top form with success at Sale earlier this month where he won the rope and tie, finished second in steer wrestling and second and third in team roping.
All eight APRA championship events will be contested at Ballarat, including the barrel race and breakaway roping. There are 52 nominations for team roping and 45 cowgirls in the barrel race.
While not for APRA championship points, the Corryong Man from Snowy River Rodeo is on April 4 at the Corryong Recreation Reserve.
The final five rodeos for the season in Victoria are on the Easter long weekend.
One major Victorian rodeo coming up is the 60th anniversary rodeo at Omeo on Easter Saturday when the big screen will put fans even closer to the action. The program includes a $3000 open saddle bronc ride. Ron Woodall is the contractor for the rough stock.
The top 15 for each APRA event at the end of April will qualify for the National Finals Rodeo at the Queensland State Equestrian Centre on May 1-4 at Caboolture in Queensland.
