Game Notes – Brisbane

By: Kacie Albert  Thursday, July 8, 2021 @ 4:27 PM

The 2021 PBR Origin will get underway July 10 in Brisbane, Queensland.

BUCKING INTO BRISBANE  – This weekend, the 2021 PBR Origin tournament will kick off in Brisbane, Queensland, hosting PBR Origin I at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. While the three-part series of events was initially scheduled to begin last weekend, July 3, in Newcastle, New South Wales, the event was postponed until October 23 due to COVID-19 (coronavirus). The 2021 PBR Origin marks the second iteration of the state-vs.-state bull riding showdown, modeled after the State of Origin rugby league event that is considered Australian sports’ greatest rivalry. Action gets underway at 7:30 p.m. AEST, and fans will be able to catch all the action LIVE on RidePass, at RidePass.com or via the mobile app.

RELATED: For the complete PBR Origin I - Brisbane Game Notes, click here.

THIS WEEKEND’S FORMAT – The 2021 PBR Australia Origin I – Brisbane will feature three rounds of competition. After each of the 10 competing bull riders for both teams attempt one bull each in Round 1 and Round 2, the Top 4 riders from each team will advance to the bonus round for one final out. The event winner will be the team with the highest combined score in the event aggregate. In addition to vying for the title of PBR Australia Origin Champion and their share of the event purse, riders will also be competing for points towards the Australian national standings and broader PBR world standings. All points will be awarded for each rider’s efforts in Round 1, Round 2 and the event aggregate. No points will be awarded for the bonus round.

LOOKING BACK: 2019 PBR STATE OF ORIGIN – In 2019, PBR Australia launched the Origin event, seeking to determine which state was the supreme bull riding powerhouse, Queensland or New South Wales. With 11 riders fielded for each team, Team Queensland beat Team New South Wales 682.5-428.5, as the Maroons logged eight qualified rides to the Blues’ five scores. In the individual race, Team Queensland’s Mitchel Paton and Team New South Wales’ Nathan Burtenshaw tied for the cowboy of the event honors, both contributing 173 points.

For the event-winning Team Queensland, after Paton first covered Super Natural for 86 points, he registered his second score when he rode Iron Jacket for 87 points. Hot on his spurs, Kurt Shephard also added two scores in three attempts for Team Queensland, contributing 172.5 points. He earned his rides aboard High Class Hooker (87 points) and High Flying Akubra (85.5 points). Brady Fielder and Aaron Kleier also went 2-for-3, contributing 169.5 and 167.5 points, respectively, as the final riders to put points on the board for the Maroons. Amidst his rookie season, Fielder rode Roam Aviation High Risk for 85 points and Cowboy Cash for 84.5 points, while Kleier, who concluded the year with his second national title, went the distance aboard Cowboy Cash for 81.5 points and Rock The House for 86 points.

As Team New South Wales’ top-performing rider, Burtenshaw covered both of his draws, marked 83.5 points on On Point and 89.5 points on Cattle King Ray Ban. The now-retired Cliff Richardson was the state’s second-best performer, registering an 87.5-point ride aboard Down Under. Ethan Watts and Captain Troy Wilkinson each also added one qualified ride. Watts made the 8 atop POA Palooka for 85 points, and Wilkinson covered POA Fully Locked & Loaded for 83 points.

TEAM QUEENSLAND – These are the 10 riders that will ride for the Team Queensland Maroons at PBR Origin I – Brisbane:

Aaron Kleier (Captain)*: In 2020, Clermont’s Kleier accomplished a feat that no other rider previously had – win the PBR Australia Championship in three consecutive seasons (2018-2020). Locked in a season-long battle with Team New South Wales rider Lachlan Richardson, Kleier held off the hard-charging seven-time World Finals qualifier, capping his year with a third-place effort at the PBR Australia Grand Finals and the 2020 PBR Australia Championship. During the regular season, Kleier won four Monster Energy Tour events and had an accompanying 10 Top-10 finishes. Through his 18 events entered, Kleier recorded a qualified ride in 14, going a torrid 22-for-37 (59%). Remaining red hot in 2021, Kleier won the season-launch event in Rockhampton, notably covering Black Tuxedo for a career-high 90.5 points in Round 1 of the event, and has since registered third- and second-place results to surge to the top of the national standings. Should he once again be crowned the PBR Australia Champion in 2021, Kleier would tie Dave Kennedy for most national titles won by one rider; Kennedy won the year-end honor in 2009-2010, 2012 and 2014. Kleier has also excelled on the global stage, appearing stateside on the elite Unleash The Beast 11 times. He qualified for the 2020 PBR World Finals, however was unable to compete due to travel restrictions. Kleier has also excelled in the team format. In addition to being a four-time competitor for Team Australia at the PBR Global Cup, Kleier represented Team Queensland at the 2019 PBR State of Origin. Going 2-for-3 en route to the win, Kleier covered Cowboy Cash for 81.5 points and Rock The House for 86 points. The only bull to best Kleier at the state-vs.-state showdown was SweetPro’s Turn It Up, who dispatched Kleier in 3.17 seconds.

2021 By The Numbers:

  • PBR Australia Rank: No. 1
  • Riding Percentage: 62.5% (5-for-8)
  • High-Marked Ride: 90.5 points on Black Tuxedo on May 7 in Rockhampton, Queensland

Macaulie Leather: Calliope’s Leather has taken the PBR world by storm in 2021, making his rookie debut on May 7 in Rockhampton, Queensland. After finishing fourth at the season-launch event, Leather won the second Monster Energy Tour event of the year held the very next day in the same city. His golden finished was highlighted by a career-best 88.5-point score on Dance Monkey in the opening round. Leather has since ridden at two additional events, finishing sixth at the Touring Pro Division event in Townsville and fourth at the third event of the year in Rockhampton. Going 1-for-2 at all four of the events he entered, one bull is responsible for three of those buckoffs – Cattle King Boogers Beach. After the bull bested him in 6 seconds in their first meeting and 2.49 seconds in their second showdown, both in Rockhampton, Boogers Beach most recently brought Leather down in 3.66 seconds in Townsville. Leather, who is the top contender for the 2021 PBR Australia Rookie of the Year honor, briefly held the No. 1 ranking in the national standings but will make his first appearance for Team Queensland as the No. 2 rider in Australia.

2021 By The Numbers:

  • PBR Australia Rank: No. 2 (19.5 points behind No. 1 Kleier)
  • Riding Percentage: 50% (4-for-8)
  • High-Marked Ride: 88.5 points on Dance Monkey on May 8 in Rockhampton, Queensland

Brady Fielder*: Since making his PBR debut in 2019, Clermont’s Fielder has been electric, excelling both in Australia and abroad. In his rookie season, Fielder not only won seven events, six in Australia and one in Canada, but he qualified for his career-first PBR World Finals and capped the year ranked No. 3 in the Australian national standings. In 2020, Fielder mounted yet another sensational season. On home soil, after registering eight Top-10 finishes during the regular season, he concluded the year with a near-flawless 4-for-5 outing at the 2020 PBR Australia Grand Finals, winning the season-culminating event to conclude the year No. 4 in the nation. To date in 2021, Fielder has ridden at four events, recording three Top-5 finishes. After riding to a silver finish at the second tour stop of the year in Rockhampton, Fielder was fifth at the Touring Pro Division event in Townsville and third at the most recent Monster Energy Tour event in Rockhampton. Familiar with the team format, Fielder is a two-time competitor for Team Australia at the PBR Global Cup and represented Team Queensland at the 2019 PBR State of Origin event. While riding for the Maroons, Fielder added 169.5 points to the nation’s total, riding Roam Aviation High Risk for 85 points and Volatile for 84.5 points. Train Wreck was the lone bull to best Fielder, bucking him off in 4.53 seconds.

2021 By The Numbers:

  • PBR Australia Rank: No. 3 (45.5 points behind No. 1 Kleier)
  • Riding Percentage: 42.86% (3-for-7)
  • High-Marked Ride: 86.5 points on Ariat’s Flaunt It

Kurt Shephard*: Mareeba’s Shephard will add the most experience to the Team Queensland roster, having competed with the PBR for nine years since making his league debut in 2013. Shephard is a World Finals qualifier, reaching the sport’s most prestigious event in 2016. No stranger to the team format, Shephard has not only twice competed for Team Australia at the PBR Global Cup, but rode for Team Queensland at the inaugural PBR Origin event in 2019. He added two scores and 172.5 points to the state’s winning effort, riding High Class Hooker for 87 points and High Flying Akubra for 85.5 points, with Pistol Whip the lone bull to get the better of him, buking Shephard off in a heartbreaking 7.58 seconds. After finishing the 2020 season No. 3 in the national standings, Shephard began his 2021 campaign red hot, winning the mid-June Monster Energy Tour event in Rockhampton, Queensland.   

2021 By The Numbers:

  • PBR Australia Rank: No. 4 (87.5 points behind No. 1 Kleier)
  • Riding Percentage: 100% (2-for-2)
  • High-Marked Ride: 85.5 points on Reloaded on June 12 in Rockhampton, Queensland

Dan Ruhland: Mount Walker’s Ruhland earned his first selection to Team Queensland for the 2021 PBR Origin event after making his rookie debut in 2020. While Ruhland fell short of qualifying for his first-ever PBR Australia Grand Finals, he has returned in electric fashion in 2021. In early May, at the second tour stop of the year in Rockhampton, Ruhland rode to a career-best third-place finish, notably covering Rambo for a career-best 85.5 points. A few weeks later, Ruhland continued his momentum in Townsville, Queensland, concluding the Touring Pro Division event fourth.

2021 By The Numbers:

  • PBR Australia Rank: No. 6 (100.5 points behind No. 1 Kleier)
  • Riding Percentage: 40% (2-for-5)
  • High-Marked Ride: 85.5 points on Rambo on May 8 in Rockhampton, Queensland

Lawson Nobbs*: For 24-year-old Moura-native Nobbs, he will add a wealth of experience to the Team Queensland roster, active with the PBR since 2016. Competing with the league globally, Nobbs, who has ridden in both Canada and the United States, has also made six appearances on the elite Unleash The Beast, including the 2019 PBR World Finals in Las Vegas. In 2020, Nobbs finished a career-best No. 10 in the PBR Australia national standings, logging an event win and two accompanying Top-5 finishes, including a fifth-place result at the 2020 PBR Australia Grand Finals. Remaining on home soil in 2021, Nobbs has competed at three events. He first found success in late May in Townsville, Queensland, winning the event held in tandem with the North Queensland Elite Junior Rodeo. In his most recent event, Nobbs was sixth at the Monster Energy Tour stop in Rockhampton. Competing for Team Queensland in 2019, Nobbs went 0-for-2 at the State of Origin event, bucked off by Chemical Weapon in 4.6 seconds and Tough Task in 3.59 seconds.

2021 By The Numbers:

  • PBR Australia Rank: No. 7 (104 points behind No. 1 Kleier)
  • Riding Percentage: 60% (3-for-5)
  • High-Marked Ride: 85 points on Hot Spot on May 29 in Townsville, Queensland

Lane Mellers*: Now a five-year veteran of the PBR, Mundubbera’s Mellers has competed in PBR’s ranks across the globe, including in Canada and the United States, where he has made an appearance on the elite Unleash The Beast. On home soil, Mellers concluded 2020 with his second consecutive Top-10 finish in the national standings. After ending 2019 a career-best No. 7 in Australia, Mellers capped the 2020 season with a No. 8 year-end rank. In 2020, in addition to winning the first installment of the mid-October double-header in Mackay, Queensland, Mellers also registered two runner-up finishes in both Beaudesert and Rockhampton, Queensland. To date in 2021, the 22-year-old has competed at three tour stops in Australia, finishing a season-best third at the first event of the new year in Rockhampton. Mellers rode for Team Queensland at the 2019 PBR State of Origin but went 0-for-2, bucked off by Silent Rage in 3.82 seconds and Stir Crazy in 4.2 seconds.

2021 By The Numbers:

  • PBR Australia Rank: No. 8 (110.5 points behind No. 1 Kleier)
  • Riding Percentage: 20% (1-for-5)
  • High-Marked Ride: 88 points on Big Bang Theory on May 7 in Rockhampton, Queensland

Caiden Sandilands: Since first making his PBR debut in 2018, Rockhampton’s Sandilands has steadily improved season to season, concluding 2020 a career-best No. 24 in the national standings. Capping the breakthrough campaign with his career-first qualification to the PBR Australia Grand Finals, where he was 12th. Sanidlands’ season was also highlighted by four Top-10 finishes, including a career-best fourth-place result in early October in Bundaberg. Thus far in 2021, Sandilands has competed at four events, registering back-to-back Top-5 efforts at the season-launch tour stops held in Rockhampton. After delivering a fifth-place finish at the first event, Sandilands finished the weekend with a fourth-place finish. The 2021 PBR Origin will mark Sandilands’ first appearance on Team Queensland.

2021 By The Numbers:

  • PBR Australia Rank: No. 9 (112.5 points behind No. 1 Kleier)
  • Riding Percentage: 33.33% (2-for-6)
  • High-Marked Ride: 83.5 points on Tough Walk on May 8 in Rockhampton, Queensland

Bailey Woodard: Dingo native Woodard has been active with the PBR since 2017. However, the 2021 season marks his first selection to Team Queensland for the PBR Origin event. In 2020, Woodard had a career-best season in Australia, concluding the year No. 7 in the national standing. Before qualifying for the Grand Finals, where he was sixth, Woodard registered an event win in Airlie Beach, in addition to four accompanying Top-10 finishes. Thus far in 2021, Woodard has competed at two PBR events, finishing a season-best second at the Touring Pro Division event held in tandem with the North Queensland Elite Junior Rodeo.

2021 By The Numbers:

  • PBR Australia Rank: No. 10 (122.5 points behind No. 1 Kleier)
  • Riding Percentage: 33.33% (1-for-3)
  • High-Marked Ride: 87 points on Comeback Kid on May 29 in Townsville, Queensland

Kelsey Pavlou: Preparing to make his PBR Origin debut, Gracemere native Pavlou has competed at four events to date in 2021, with his campaign highlighted by a fifth-place result at the second tour stop of the year in Rockhampton, Queensland. Pavlou earned the Top-5 finish courtesy of an 80-point score on Home Grown. Pavlou made his PBR debut in 2020, finishing his rookie season No. 15 in the Australian national standings. He notably won his second-ever event with the league, dominating at the second iteration of the doubleheader in Caboolture, Queensland, before logging two additional Top-10 finishes and qualifying for his first PBR Australia Grand Finals. Pavlou capped the unique 2020 season with a 10th-place finish at the season-culminating event.

2021 By The Numbers:

  • PBR Australia Rank: No. 12 (138.5 points behind No. 1 Kleier)
  • Riding Percentage: 20% (1-for-5)
  • High-Marked Ride: 80 points on Home Grown on May 8 in Rockhampton, Queensland

*Denotes a rider who competed at the 2019 PBR State of Origin event.

TEAM NEW SOUTH WALES – These are the 10 riders that will ride for the Team New South Wales Blues at PBR Origin I – Brisbane:

Troy Wilkinson (Captain)*: Upper Horton’s Troy Wilkinson will return to captain Team New South Wales for the second time in as many editions of the PBR Origin event. First leading the squad at the inaugural event, Wilkinson went 1-for-3, adding an 83-point score aboard Rev It Up before Team New South Wales was defeated by Team Queensland. Wilkinson’s return to the state-vs.-state showdown comes on the heels of a 2020 season in which he competed at just five evensts due to injury. Inactive when the league returned following the COVID-19 (coronavirus) shutdown, Wilkinson was sidelined after needing reconstructive shoulder surgery to repair an injury he sustained steer wrestling. Wilkinson returned to competition in late May, riding at the Touring Pro Division event held in tandem with the North Queensland Elite Junior Rodeo. While he has yet to find success, including being shut out at the most recent Monster Energy Tour event in Rockhampton, Wilkinson is no stranger to excelling in high-pressure situations. The 2017 PBR Australia Champion qualified to the 2017 PBR World Finals and has represented Team Australia at three editions of the PBR Global Cup.

2021 By The Numbers:

  • PBR Australia Rank: Unranked (152.5 points behind No. 1 Kleier)
  • Riding Percentage: 0% (0-for-3)
  • High-Marked Ride: N/A

Lachlan Richardson: For seven-time PBR World Finals qualifier Richardson, the 2020 season ended in heartbreaking fashion. Embroiled in a season-long slugfest with reigning Champion Aaron Kleier, Gresford’s Richardson logged three event wins and an accompanying six Top-10 finishes to conclude the regular season No. 2 to Kleier by a slim 56 points. Snapping a five-out buckoff streak on the opening day of the 2020 PBR Australia Grand Finals, Richardson went a perfect 2-for-2 to inch within 29 points of Kleier as the season entered its final day. However, then injury struck, as a massive hematoma on his back sidelined Richardson for last outs of the season, denying him the chance to contend for his first Australian Championship. The runner-up finish at year’s end was Richardson’s third on home soil, previously finishing No. 2 in 2016 and 2019. To date in 2021, Richardson has ridden at each of the league’s four events on Australia, with his campaign headlined by a runner-up finish at the season-launch event in Rockhampton, Queensland. With a wealth of experience in the team format, Richardson has ridden for Team Australia at all four iterations of the PBR Global Cup.

2021 By The Numbers:

  • PBR Australia Rank: No. 5 (91.5 points behind No. 1 Kleier)
  • Riding Percentage: 40% (2-for-5)
  • High-Marked Ride: 89.5 points on Reloaded in Rockhampton, Queensland on May 7

Lachlan Slade*: A nine-year veteran of the sport, Tamworth’s Slade will represent Team New South Wales for the second time in his career with momentum at his back. After getting shut out during his first two events of 2021, Slade found success at the mid-June Monster Energy Tour event in Rockhampton, Queensland. Backed by an 81-point score on Chemical Weapon, Slade, who had his hopes of victory come to a heartbreaking end when he was bucked off by POA Fully Locked & Loaded in a close 7.59 seconds, concluded the event fifth. Last season, Slade capped the year, which included three regular-season Top-10 finishes, with a ninth-place result at the Grand Finals to conclude the year No. 21 in the national standings. A previous member of Team New South Wales, Slade went 0-for-2 at the 2019 PBR State of Origin event, bucked off by POA Lock N Load in 6.6 seconds and Call Me Joe in 5.75 seconds.  

2021 By The Numbers:

  • PBR Australia Rank: No. 11 (133.5 points behind No. 1 Kleier)
  • Riding Percentage: 25% (1-for-4)
  • High-Marked Ride: 81 points on Chemical Weapon in Rockhampton, Queensland on June 12

Cody Heffernan*: Singleton native and 2016 PBR Australia Champion Heffernan is no stranger to competing at some of bull riding’s most prominent events. In addition to qualifying for the PBR World Finals in 2016, Heffernan has twice competed for Team Australia at the PBR Global Cup and represented Team New South Wales at the inaugural PBR State of Origin event in 2019. While competing for the Blues, Heffernan went 0-for-1, bucked off by Mixed Culture in 2.67 seconds. After reconstructive knee surgery sidelined Heffernan for more than 14 months, he made a last-minute push to the 2020 PBR Australia Grand Finals when he made his return to competition for the final four regular-season events in early November. In triumphant fashion, Heffernan covered his first bull back, marked 82 points on Roger Rabit, to finish the first iteration of the Toowoomba Invitational third. The Top-5 effort was enough to secure him a berth to his third career Grand Finals. Finishing seventh at the season-culminating event, Heffernan concluded his brief 2020 season ranked No. 16 in the nation. Thus far in 2021, Heffernan has appeared at four events, finishing sixth at the most recent iteration of the Monster Energy Tour’s Rockhampton Invitational.

2021 By The Numbers:

  • PBR Australia Rank: No. 13 (143 points behind No. 1 Kleier)
  • Riding Percentage: 20% (1-for-5)
  • High-Marked Ride: 80.5 points on Run For Your Life in Rockhampton, Queensland on June 12

Trefor Sproule: Singleton native and 31-year-old Trefor Sproule made his PBR debut in February 2011. Competing sporadically since, Sproule, who did not compete with the league in 2020, has returned with a force in 2021. Riding at a PBR event for the first time since August 2019, Sproule made his 2021 season debut on May 7 in Rockhampton, Queensland. Covering I’m A Thug for 81.5 points, Sproule concluded the event seventh. He has competed at two additional tour stops but has yet to make the whistle again. The 2021 PBR Origin event will mark Sproule’s debut at the team-formatted tournament.

2021 By The Numbers:

  • PBR Australia Rank: Tied for No. 16 (146.5 points behind No. 1 Kleier)
  • Riding Percentage: 25% (1-for-4)
  • High-Marked Ride: 81.5 points on I’m A Thug in Rockhampton, Queensland on May 7

Sam Woodall*: A competitor with the league since 2017, Luddenham resident Woodall is no stranger to representing Team New South Wales at the PBR Origin tournament. Riding for the Blues in 2019, Woodall went 0-for-2, bested by Django in 2.41 seconds and Ooh Night Hawk in 2.81 seconds. In 2020, despite the unique season, Woodall reached several critical career milestones. In mid-October, Woodall won his first ever PBR event in Rockhampton, headlined by an 86-point score atop Iron Jacket and 87.5-point score on Barn Yard. However, while Woodall concluded the year with his first-ever qualification to the PBR Australia Grand Finals, he was sidelined due to a groin injury sustained at the final regular-season event of the year in Airlie Beach. Woodall made his return to competition in mid-June at the third Monster Energy Tour event of 2021 in Rockhampton but was shut out, bucked off by Makin 8 Bucksnort in 3.87 seconds.  

2021 By The Numbers:

  • PBR Australia Rank: Unranked (152.5 points behind No. 1 Kleier)
  • Riding Percentage: 0% (0-for-1)
  • High-Marked Ride: N/A

Ty Thomson: Wee Waa’s Thomson earned his selection to Team New South Wales for the 2021 PBR Origin event after delivering a stellar rookie season. Making his PBR debut in February 2020 in Marrabel, South Australia. Thomson wowed, covering Told Ya So, his first-ever bovine athlete opponent in the league, for 86 points to finish second in the event. As the season progressed, Thomson registered two additional Top-5 efforts before qualifying for his first PBR Australia Grand Finals. While Thomson was shut out at the season-culminating event, going 0-for-4, he finished the year inside the nation’s Top 20, concluding the season No. 14. Thus far in 2021, Thomson is still seeking his first qualified ride after being shut out at the initial two events of the season in Rockhampton. After Catfish Billy got the better of him in 5.11 seconds, Thomson’s latest trip was a 4.75-second buckoff atop Off The Planet.

2021 By The Numbers:

  • PBR Australia Rank: Unranked (152.5 points behind No. 1 Kleier)
  • Riding Percentage: 0% (0-for-2)
  • High-Marked Ride: N/A

Joseph Down: After Muswellbrook’s Down made his PBR debut in 2019, he had a breakthrough season in 2020, finishing a career-best No. 25 in the national standings and qualifying for his first-ever PBR Australia Grand Finals. Throughout his campaign, Down registered three Top-10 efforts, with his season highlighted by a third-place result in Toowoomba, Queensland. Eager to continue his success in 2021, Down has yet to reach the whistle in the four events he has entered to date. The 2021 PBR Origin event will mark Down’s first selection to Team New South Wales for the state-vs.-state tournament.

2021 By The Numbers:

  • PBR Australia Rank: Unranked (152.5 points behind No. 1 Kleier)
  • Riding Percentage: 0% (0-for-5)
  • High-Marked Ride: N/A

Thomas Hudson: In 2020, Dungog’s Hudson made his PBR debut riding at two of the early-season events held in Rockhampton, Queensland and Marrabel, South Australia. His year was headlined by a fifth-place finish in Marrabel, where he recorded his first qualified ride with the PBR, marked 81 points aboard Devils Child. While Hudson did not return to action for the remainder of the year, he has competed in two events to date in 2021. Competing at the first two events of the current year in Rockhampton, Hudson was shutout in both, bucked off by Cliffhanger in 3.5 seconds, and Slick 60 in 3.85 seconds.

2021 By The Numbers:

  • PBR Australia Rank: Unranked (152.5 points behind No. 1 Kleier)
  • Riding Percentage: 0% (0-for-2)
  • High-Marked Ride: N/A

Chris Wilson: Amidst his rookie season, Scone’s Wilson is also preparing to make his PBR Origin debut. Wilson competed at his career-first PBR event in early May, riding at the double-header tour stop in Rockhampton, Queensland. While he has yet to record a qualified ride, Wilson narrowly missed the whistle in his first-ever event, dispatched by Ranga in a close 5.56 seconds.

2021 By The Numbers:

  • PBR Australia Rank: Unranked (152.5 points behind No. 1 Kleier)
  • Riding Percentage: 0% (0-for-2)
  • High-Marked Ride: N/A

*Denotes a rider who competed at the 2019 PBR State of Origin event.

FAMILIAR WATERS – Round 1 of PBR Origin I – Brisbane will feature five rematches, with two riders competing for Team Queensland and three from Team New South Wales set to climb aboard familiar foes. Riding for the Maroons, Kurt Shephard is the lone rider to have previously made the 8. He first faced off against Breaking Bad in mid-June, covering him for 78 points in Round 1 of the PBR Rockhampton Invitational en route to his first event victory of 2021. Fellow Queensland rider Kelsey Pavlou will also climb aboard a bull he has previously attempted in 2021. Once again drawing Mixed Culture, Pavlou bucked off the Dittmann Bucking Bulls’ bovine athlete in 2.62 seconds during Round 1 of the Touring Pro Division event held in tandem with the prestigious North Queensland Elite Junior Rodeo. Of the remaining trio of riders set to ride for the Team New South Wales Blues, Captain and 2017 PBR Australia Champion Troy Wilkinson is the lone contender to have attempted his opening-round opponent multiple times. With both of their meetings taking place during the 2019 season, after Call Me Joe got the better of Wilkinson in a swift 1.31 seconds in Sydney, Australia, the bull once again brought Wilkinson down short of the 8 later that season, the second time in 1.81 seconds during Round 3 of the Australian Grand Finals in Townsville.

The remaining Round 1 rematches are:

            Lachlan Richardson vs. Ranga (2020 PBR Australia Mackay, Queensland – 2.95 seconds)

            Sam Woodall vs. Chemical Weapon (2020 PBR Australia Iron Cowboy Tamworth, New South Wales – 6.1 seconds)

Round 2 will be headlined by six rematches, with four on the horizon for Team Queensland and two for Team New South Wales. Of the sextet of riders, four have previously made the 8, led by Team New South Wales’ Lachlan Richardson, who has covered Freckles Brown twice. While the seven-time PBR World Finals Qualifier first covered the bull for 83 points in early October in the championship round of the doubleheader in Mackay, he remained perfect against the Peter Wallace bovine the very next weekend in Rockhampton, Queensland, this time marked 84 points in the opening round. Team New South Wales Captain Wilkinson has also drawn another rematch in Round 2. He’ll attempt to reverse his fortunes atop Rockslide, having bucked off the bull in 2019 in Burnett Heads in 4.84 seconds. Riding for Team Queensland, Brady Fielder, Kurt Shephard and Lawson Nobbs will all look to add a score to their nation’s total each having drawn a bull they have previously covered. Both first attempting their 2021 PBR Origin I – Brisbane Round 2 draws during the 2020 PBR Australia Grand Finals, Fielder rode Drag Iron and Shephard covered Making 8 Bucksnort, with each earning a matching 86-point score. Nobbs has attempted Bezerk three times prior. After the bull bucked him off in their first two meetings, both in Mackay, first in 3.02 seconds in 2018 and then in 4.77 seconds in 2019, Nobbs conquered the bovine during the 2020 Australian Grand Finals. Making the 8 in Round 4, Nobbs was marked 83.75 points.

The remaining Round 2 rematch is:

            Bailey Woodard vs. Little Thunder (2019 PBR Australia Newcastle, New South Wales – 4.29 seconds)

PAST BRISBANE EVENT WINNERS – While this weekend’s event will mark the first-ever PBR Origin event in Brisbane, the city is no stranger to world-class bull riding competition.  Historically, PBR Australia has held nine events in Brisbane, including the uniquely progressive-elimination-formatted Last Cowboy Standing from 2015-19. Riders from around the world travelled to Brisbane, Queensland looking to conquer Australia’s rankest bulls, earn crucial world and national points, and be crowned the season’s Australian Last Cowboy Standing. In 2019, Kurt Shephard went a perfect 3-for-3 to earn the victory in Brisbane. The now-26-year-old first rode Posting Bail for 82.5 points before going the distance aboard POA Lock N Load for 88.5 points and covering Ooh Call Me Joe for 86.5 points. Throughout the PBR’s storied history in Brisbane, only one rider, Cody Heffernan, has won the tour stop in back-to-back seasons. After dominating the event in 2015, Heffernan was again crowned the Last Cowboy Standing in 2016 en route to his first PBR Australia Championship.

Kurt Shepard (2019)

Cliff Richardson (2018)

J.W. Harris (2017)

Cody Heffernan (2016)

Cody Heffernan (2015)

Clancy Butler (2013)

Chase Outlaw (2012)

Rocky McDonald (2011)

Jim Rowsell (2010)

BULL PEN – At this weekend’s PBR Origin I – Brisbane event, stock contractors from both Queensland and New South Wales will provide animal athletes as the 2021 iteration of the state-vs.-state tournament gets underway. While Throsby & Russell will be the lone outfit representing Team New South Wales, Dittmann Bucking Bulls, Peter Wallace, BK Bucking Bulls, MJ/Keliher Bucking Bulls, Dunne Bulls, Brandenburg Bucking Bulls and ST Bucking Bulls will all have bucking bulls onsite that hail from Queensland.

PROVIDING PROTECTION – This weekend’s bullfighters are Jared Borghero of Gracemere, Queensland; Brodie Frizzell of Allora, Queensland; and Clint Kelly of Gracemere, Queensland.

NEXT UP – The 2021 PBR Australia season will continue July 17 with the second installment of the three-part PBR Origin event, a showdown between Queensland and New South Wales to determine which state is the supreme bull riding powerhouse. PBR Origin II – Cairns will be held Saturday, July 17 at 7:30 p.m. AEST at the Cairns Convention Centre in Cairns, Queensland.