Game Notes – Maryborough

MARYBOROUGH GETS RANK – This weekend PBR Australia will travel to Maryborough, Queensland. As the 21^st event of the 2022 season, the PBR Monster Energy Tour Maryborough Invitational will buck into Maryborough Showgrounds & Equestrian Park on Saturday, September 17 at 7:00 p.m. AEDT. 

RELATED: Click here for the complete Maryborough Game Notes.

THIS WEEKEND’S FORMAT – The PBR Australia Monster Energy Tour’s Maryborough Invitational at Maryborough Showgrounds & Equestrian Park will feature two rounds of bull riding. All competing bull riders will attempt one bull each in both Round 1 and Round 2. The event champion will be determined by the rider with the highest total score from their two draws.

KLEIER RIDES UNRIVALLED – Through the last three PBR Australia events, including the Monster Energy Tour event in Caboolture and a pair of Touring Pro Division stops in Bloomsbury and Quirindi, and rider has won each – Aaron Kleier. As a result, Kleier, who is chasing his unprecedented fifth national title in 2022, has extended his lead atop the national standings to a season-best 234.5 points ahead of No. 2 Cody Heffernan. Here is a look back at each of his wins:

Caboolture: Delivering a dominant 2-for-2 performance, Kleier won his second consecutive event, victorious at the Monster Energy Tour’s Caboolture Invitational, to further his stronghold on the No. 1 rank in the race to be crowned the 2022 PBR Australia Champion. Kleier’s march to victory began with a Round 1-victory, earned compliments of his 86-point effort aboard Running Gold Little Muddy Jacket. The reserved Queensland native then readied to take on Big Buck Hunter in the championship round as the last man to leave the chutes inside QSEC Arena. Poised, Kleier matched the animal athlete jump-for-jump en route to an 86-point score, clinching the victory. The golden finish garnered Kleier 77 national points, allowing him to expand his lead in the national standings. Remaining No.1 in the PBR Australia standings, Kleier extended his lead over No. 2 Qynn Andersen to 132 points.

Bloomsbury: As the 2022 PBR Australia season continued in Bloomsbury, Queensland, Kleier inched closer to his unprecedented fifth consecutive national title, winning the Touring Pro Division’s PBR Bull Pit to further his stronghold on the No. 1 rank in the nation. As the action got underway in Round 1, Kleier delivered the third-best score when he covered Ranch Kitty for 83 points. The stoic Queensland native remained perfect in the second round, delivering his second consecutive 83-point ride when he went the distance atop Hair Trigger. As the championship round got underway, Kleier readied to take on Ambush, positioned second on the event leaderboard. Matching the powerful animal athlete jump-for-jump, Kleier completed his flawless outing in Bloomsbury, Queensland, with an event-best 88-point score to clinch the event win. Kleier’s golden finish, his fourth straight, and eighth overall of the season, earned him a crucial 93 national points. Extending his lead atop the Australian national standings, Kleier surged 223.5 points ahead of new No. 2 Cody Heffernan.

Quirindi: At the most recent PBR Australia event in Quirindi, New South Wales, Kleier and Clint Glass tied for the event win at the Touring Pro Division’s PBR Quirindi Show. For Kleier, his march to victory began in Round 1 when he delivered the fourth-best score, marked 83 points atop Shotgun. The stoic Queensland native remained red-hot in the second round, clinching the shared victory when he dominated Tezzas Pride for 83.5 points. Kleier left the Quirindi Showgrounds and Racecourse having earned 21 national points, furthering his stronghold on the No. 1 rank. He now leads No. 2 Heffernan by 234.5 points.

PAST MARYBOROUGH EVENT WINNERS – For the first time in more than 14 years, PBR Australia will return to Maryborough. PBR has travelled to the Queensland city once prior, holding a Touring Pro Division event in Maryborough in 2006. The event was won by Ben Keliher, followed by Steven Clark in second and Budd Williamson in third.

FAMILIAR WATERS – During Round 1 of the PBR Maryborough Invitational, three riders will face familiar opponents with none having previously made the 8.

• Brady Wheeler will renew his rivalry with POA Crack The Latch. Earlier this season the bull bucked off Wheeler in 1.6 seconds during the Touring Pro Division event in Mount Isa, Queensland.
• Jackson Gray will attempt Specsaver for the second time in his career. First climbing aboard the bovine athlete in 2020, Specsaver bucked off Gray in 2.95 seconds during the Monster Energy Tour stop in Bundaberg, Queensland.
• Jake Curr has been tasked with Holy Poly for the second time. Holy Poly first got the better of Curr in 4.95 seconds during the 2021 Monster Energy Tour stop in Rockhampton, Queensland.

Round 2 of the Monster Energy Tour stop in Maryborough will feature another three familiar showdowns.

• Ben Moran will look to remain perfect against Freckles Brown. Moran covered the bull for 81.5 points earlier this season during the Monster Energy Tour stop in Rockhampton.
• Caiden Sandilands will renew his 2021 rivalry with Cattle King Screaming Demon who bucked him off that season in 5.02 seconds during the elite tour event in Emerald, Queensland.
• Cody Heffernan is set to attempt POA Reload for the third time in his career. After the bull bested him in 2.62 seconds in 2020 in Airlie Beach, Queensland, POA Reload bucked him off earlier this season in Bloomsbury, Queensland during the Touring Pro Division stop in 4.63 seconds.

BULL PEN – This weekend’s bull pen for the PBR Maryborough Invitational will be headlined by Pretty Boy, Roid Rage and Rambo, all of whom will be out in Round 2 and have been crowned Bull of the Event multiple times thus far in 2022. Pretty Boy leads the PBR with five Bull of the Event honors, most recently topping the field at the Monster Energy Tour event in Cairns, Queensland, marked 46 points when he tossed Lachlan Slade in 3.59 seconds. Pretty Boy will enter his showdown in Maryborough with Joey Buckingham unridden in 21 outs in PBR competition. Roid Rage has earned the Bull of the Event honor three times thus far in 2022, including for monstrous back-to-back outs at the Mount Isa, Queensland, Touring Pro Division event. The standout from Dittmann Bucking Bulls was first scored 46.5 points for his 7.25 seconds of work against Brody Woodard, before posting a season-best 47-point score the next day for his buckoff of Braith Nock. Now unridden in 19 outs in PBR competition, Roid Rage has been drawn by Aaron Kleier in Maryborough. Rambo is a two-time Bull of the Event to date in 2022, dominant at the third Monster Energy Tour event in Rockhampton and the second Touring Pro Division event in Bloomsbury, and has been drawn by Qynn Andersen.      

PROVIDING PROTECTION – This weekend’s protection athletes are Gus Roberts, Ray West and Kirstin Wood.

NEXT UP – The 2022 PBR Australia season will continue Saturday, October 1 for the Monster Energy Tours’ K-Ranch Invitational in Camden, New South Wales. Action at K-Ranch will get underway at 7:00 p.m. AEDT.

 

MARYBOROUGH COMPETITORS BY COUNTRY

Australia (15) – Qynn Andersen, Joey Buckingham, Taran Chirgwin, Jono Couling, Jake Curr, Jackson Gray, Cody Heffernan, Aaron Kleier, Ben Moran, Braith Nock, Lachlan Richardson, Dan Ruhland, Caiden Sandilands, Trefor Sproule, Bradley Wheeler.

BREAKDOWN BY STATE –

New South Wales – Jono Couling, Cody Heffernan, Braith Nock, Lachlan Richardson, Trefor Sproule, Bradley Wheeler; Queensland – Qynn Andersen, Joey Buckingham, Taran Chirgwin, Jake Curr, Jackson Gray, Aaron Kleier, Ben Moran, Dan Ruhland, Caiden Sandilands.