Winner of the Novice Bull Ride, 17-year-old PJ Bradford from Toowoomba, had his hands more than full with this big fella ‘Fun and Games’. Photos Tree Faerie.
An enthusiastic crowd of almost 4,000 people went flooding in to watch the annual Cudgen Leagues Club Bull and Bronc Spectacular on Saturday night. The weather was perfect for the third event held at the Cudgen Leagues Club.
It was a night of thrills and spills for the cowboys, with almost an even score for the cowboys versus bulls and broncs, although in the Junior Bull Ride event only one rider managed to ride to time. For those riders that didn’t make the eight-seconds time, a good layer of soft white sand made for a cushioned landing.
Bull Fighting Clowns Joel Chevalley from Grafton and Kirsten Wood from Kyogle did a fine job protecting the cowboys and showing the bulls the exit gate. The bronc pickup riders Michael Murphy and Peter Young also had their hands full looking after the broncs and their riders.
Seventeen-year-old Jack Mcarthur, from Cooyar near Kingaroy, had a double win taking out both the Open and Junior bull rides. Jack, a professional bull rider, started as a youngster riding poddy carves on the farm.
Novice Bull Ride winner was PJ Bradford from Toowoomba, a full-time bull rider and also an apprentice jockey. PJ rode two bulls, ‘Oreo’ and ‘Fun and Games’. ‘Good bulls that came out spinning makes the ride a lot better for a better score,’ said PJ after the event. ‘The crowd was good, which always turns on the night and makes the ride a lot better.’
Saddle Bronc winner Cameron Taylor, from Brighton near Toowoomba, breaks in horses for a living. ‘He was a handful to ride as he bucked around the arena,’ he said of his drawn bay bronc ‘Oakey Rush’. This is only his second year of riding saddle broncs, but holds the 2010 QRA Bull Riding Title and 2012 NRA Bull Riding Title.
The Cudgen Bull & Bronc Spectacular will definitely be back in 2014!
Results for the event were:
Open Bull Ride
1st Jack Mcarthur 77 points
2nd Danial Piggott 76 points
3rd Damian Clarke 74 points
Novice Bull Ride
1st PJ Bradford 143 points
2nd Jackson Felton 128 points
Junior Bull Ride
1st Jack Mcarthur 70 points
Saddle Bronc Ride
1st Cameron Taylor 69 points
2nd Cody Kettleton 62 points
3rd Dean Ryan 60 points
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