Game Notes – Rockhampton

BUCKING WITH THE BEST IN ROCKHAMPTON – This weekend, for the 35^th time in history, PBR Australia will travel to Rockhampton, Queensland. As the 25^th event of the 2022 season, and fifth stop in Rockhampton, the PBR Monster Energy Tour Rockhampton Invitational will buck into the Great Western Hotel on Saturday, October 29 at 7:00 p.m. AEDT. Following the event in Rockhampton, just two events remain before the 2022 PBR Australia Grand Finals on Nov. 25-26 in Townsville, Queensland at the Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre.

RELATED: Click here for the complete Rockhampton Game Notes.

THIS WEEKEND’S FORMAT – The PBR Australia Monster Energy Tour’s Rockhampton Invitational at Great Western Hotel will feature two rounds of bull riding. All competing bull riders will attempt one bull each in both Round 1 and Round 2. Following the second round, the event champion will be determined by the rider with the highest total score from their two draws. One rider has the chance to win a maximum 80 national points in Rockhampton.

FAMILIAR WATERS – As competition gets underway for the PBR Australia Monster Energy Tour event in Rockhampton, Queensland, four riders will face familiar opponents in Round 1. Those rematches are:

• Seven-time PBR World Finals qualifier Lachlan Richardson will look to remain perfect against Bad Moon. Richardson rode the bull for 83.5 points during the 2021 Monster Energy Tour event in Burnett Heads, Queensland.
• The Kansas City Outlaws’ Sam Woodall will have his rivalry with Ariat’s Flaunt It renewed inside Great Western Hotel. In 2021, Woodall made the 8 atop the animal athlete for 85.5 points during the second stop of the PBR Origin tournament in Cairns, Queensland.
• Jackson Gray will climb atop Red Tin for the second time this season. At a previous Monster Energy Tour event in Rockhampton, Gray was sent airborne by the bull in 3.88 seconds.
• Wyatt Milgate is the final rider facing a familiar opponent in the opening round. Rug Rat bucked off Milgate in a quick 2.49 seconds earlier this season at an elite tour event in Rockhampton.

Round 2 of the PBR Rockhampton Invitational will feature four renewed rivalries. Those matchups are:

• Richardson has drawn his second familiar opponent in Ambush. Having met three times prior, Richardson has covered the bull just once. With all their meetings happening this season, the New South Wales contender rode the bull for 87 points in their first meeting during the Touring Pro Division stop in Cooyar, Queensland. Ambush, however, bucked off Richardson in their two meetings since, in 3.11 seconds at a Monster Energy Tour event in Rockhampton, and in 3.52 seconds at an elite tour stop in Caboolture, Queensland.
• Milgate will also face his second familiar opponent in Rockhampton in Round 2 when he attempts Ranga. Earlier this season at a Monster Energy Tour stop in Rockhampton, Ranga bucked off Milgate in 3.18 seconds.
• Young Gun Qynn Andersen will attempt to reverse his fortunes atop Get A Haircut. In 2021 at the Monster Energy Tour stop in Emerald, Queensland, the bull bested Andersen in 5.74 seconds.
• Taran Chirgwin has drawn Humdinger for the second time this season. At the Touring Pro Division event in Mount Isa, Queensland, Chirgwin was bucked off in a quick 3.03 seconds by the powerful animal athlete.

PAST ROCKHAMPTON EVENT WINNERS – One of the longest tenured events in PBR Australia history, since the Queensland city welcomed the organization for the first time in 2006, PBR has held a total of 34 events in Rockhampton, including seven tour stops throughout the 2021 campaign, and four held to date in 2022.

At the most recent PBR event in Rockhampton in mid-June, Kelsey Pavlou delivered a perfect 3-for-3 showing to win the event, cracking the Top 5 in the race for the 2022 PBR Australia Championship. Pavlou first converted in Round 1 when he covered Ariat’s Flaunt It for 80 points. Seventh on the leaderboard entering Round 2, Pavlou then surged to the top of the event standings when he made the requisite 8 atop Bang and Grind for 82.5 points. Pavlou next readied to go head-to-head against King Kong in the championship round. As the last man to leave the chutes inside Great Western Hotel, Pavlou was a picture of perfection atop the mammoth animal athlete, reaching the whistle for 85 points to clinch the victory. The golden finish earned Pavlou a critical 89 national points, elevating him from No. 6 to No. 5 in the national standings. Pavlou will travel to this weekend’s event in Rockhampton ranked No. 7 in the race to be crowned the 2022 PBR Australia Champion. He has drawn Loose Moose in Round 1 and I’m A Thug in Round 2.

This June’s event in Rockhampton also included a shuffle atop the standings. Compliments of a third-place finish, which garnered him 55 national points, Lachlan Richardson overtook the No. 1 rank in the fierce battle to be crowned the season’s PBR Australia Champion. Despite being bested in Round 1 by Rockslide in a hard-fought 7.86 seconds, the seven-time PBR World Finals qualifier returned determined in the second round. In perfect time with Run For Your Life, Richardson topped the round courtesy of an event-best 85.5-point score. The New South Wales sensation, however was no match for Ambush in the final round, sent to the ground in 3.11 seconds. Richardson, who began the event ranked No. 3, surged to the No. 1 rank in Australia, climbing 12 points ahead of No. 2 Cody Heffernan. In the months since, Richardson has slipped to No. 4 in the national standings. This weekend inside Great Western Hotel, Richardson has drawn two rematches including Bad Moon in Round 1 and Ambush in Round 2.

The complete list of past Rockhampton event winners includes:

Kelsey Pavlou (2022)
Aaron Kleier (2022)
Brady Fielder (2022)
Kurt Shephard (2022)
Aaron Kleier (2021)
Kurt Shephard (2021)
Bailey Woodard (2021)
Aaron Kleier (2021)
Kurt Shephard (2021)
Macaulie Leather (2021)
Aaron Kleier (2021)
Sam Woodall (2020)
Aaron Kleier (2020)
Lawson Nobbs (2020)
Lawson Nobbs (2019)
Ryan Storey (2018)
Jason Mara (2018)
Bailey Woodard (2017)
Lachlan Richardson (2016)
Fraser Babbington (2015)
Roy Dunn (2015)
David Kennedy (2009)
Kevin “Jock” Connolly (2009)
Cody Heffernan (2008)
Ben Seeds (2008)
Ben Jones (2007)
Budd Williamson (2007)
Ben Keliher (2007)
Denny Farley (2006)
Ben Jones (2006)
Steven Clark (2006)
Ryan Storey (2006)
Wayne Brokenbrough (2006)
Heath Shrimp (2006)

BULL PEN – During the opening round of the PBR Rockhampton Invitational, three bovine athletes hailing from Diamond J Rodeo Co. and Fred Kleier will make their PBR debut. Those animal athletes are: 25 (vs. Jono Couling), 901 (vs. JN Bennett) and Eetswa (vs. Clint Glass).

Several animal athletes will also begin the event having never been ridden. Those bulls are:

• Round 1: Some Gave All (1-0) vs. Jay Borghero; and Red Tin (4-0) vs. Jackson Gray.
• Round 2: Hawkeye (3-0) vs. Jono Couling; and It’s A Disco (3-0) vs. Jackson Gray.

PROVIDING PROTECTION – This weekend’s protection athletes are Jared Borghero and Gus Roberts.

NEXT UP – The 2022 PBR Australia season will continue Saturday, November 5 for the Monster Energy Tour’s PBR Tamworth Iron Cowboy in Tamworth, New South Wales. Action at the AELEC Arena will get underway at 7:00 p.m. AEDT.

ROCKHAMPTON COMPETITORS BY COUNTRY

Australia (14) – Qynn Andersen, JN Bennett, Jay Borghero, Taran Chirgwin, Jono Couling, Joseph Down, Clint Glass, Jackson Gray, Wyatt Milgate, Ben Moran, Kelsey Pavlou, Lachlan Richardson, Scott Stringer, Sam Woodall.

BREAKDOWN BY STATE –

New South Wales – Jono Couling, Clint Glass, Lachlan Richardson; Queensland – Qynn Andersen, Jay Borghero, Taran Chirgwin, Jackson Gray, Wyatt Milgate, Ben Moran, Scott Strginer; Victoria – JN Bennett, Joseph Down, Kelsey Pavlou, Sam Woodall.