VICTORIAN riders will be favourites in many events when an Australian Professional Rodeo Association event is held at Kapunda in South Australia this Saturday.
Lockington, Vic, rider Cherie O’Donoghue never misses an opportunity to head across the border into South Australia in quest of championship points at APRA rodeos.
Ms O’Donoghue is the most successful cowgirl in APRA history and showed she was in form with a first-round win in breakaway roping at the Warwick Rodeo in Queensland in late October.
She is currently ninth in all around cowgirl standings in the APRA and fellow Victorian Tammy Woodall is 10th.
The Lockington rider headed to Marrabel in South Australia on the first weekend in October to win the breakaway roping in one of the fastest times of the season, 2.25 seconds, from South Australian rider Renee Pearson who was timed at 2.7.
Beverfod (Vic) rider Heath Chalmers won the first round of the saddle bronc at Marrabel with 81 points, one of the highest scores of the season, and then was one of the protection clowns for the bull ride.
Mr Chalmers scored 75 in the final to finish second in the aggregate at Marrabel.
He is 10th in APRA saddle bronc standings at the half-way mark of the season and a favourite for Kapunda Bacchus Marsh (Vic) rider Glen Perkins won the rope and tie at Marrabel by almost two seconds and will be one of the riders to beat at Kapunda.
Mr Perkins is currently nonth in APRA standings and in a strong position to finish in the top-15 and qualify for next year’s National Finals Rodeo. He can almost secure a position for the finals with a win at Kapunda on Saturday.
Willung (Vic) rider Terry Evison is seventh in team roping header standings after winning at Marrabel in combination with Corey Heath and will make the trek to Kapunda.
Breakaway roping is the best event for Victorians so far this season with Anna McPhee fourth in the standings, Casey-Lee Collins ninth and O’Donoghue 13th.
Shianne O’Donoghue-Kent won the barrel race at Marrabel and is 10th in APRA standings.
Victorian riders are certain to move up the standings in the second half of the season when the Christmas Run starts and then in March where there are numerous rodeos on the Victorian long weekend.