Sam Woodall Captures Career-First PBR Event Victory with Win at Australian Monster Energy Tour’s Rockhampton Invitational

ROCKHAMPTON, Queensland – In front of a raucous, socially-distanced crowd at the Great Western Hotel, 22-year-old  Sam Woodall (Heywood, Victoria) captured his career-first PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Australia event win, delivering a flawless 2-for-2 performance at the elite Monster Energy Tour’s Rockhampton Invitational.

The Victoria native began the event on a high note, covering Iron Jacket (Peter Wallace) for 86 points, the second-best score of Round 1.

Returning for the final round with his sights affixed on an event victory, Woodall cemented his career-first win when he recorded the high-marked of the championship round, an 87.5-point ride on Barn Yard (Fred Kleier).

Woodall’s flawless finish netted him $2,291.40 along with 77 national points, allowing him to gain critical ground in the national standings as he seeks his first-ever qualification to the PBR Australia Grand Finals on November 20-21 in Townsville, Queensland at the Townsville Event Centre.

Beginning the event No. 5 in the nation, Woodall climbed two positions to No. 3, now 258 points behind standings leader Lachlan Richardson (Gresford, New South Wales).

Following the Rockhampton double-header, six events remain prior to the 2020 PBR Australia Grand Finals in late November in Townsville, Queensland.

Seven-time PBR World Finals qualifier Richardson delivered his second consecutive runner-up finish to further his stronghold on the nation’s No. 1 ranking.

Now amidst a five-out ride streak in Australian competition, the New South Wales rider first covered Freckles Brown (Peter Wallace) for 84 points in Round 1, before going the distance aboard Ol’ Son (Dunne Bulls) for 85 points in the championship round.

Richardson’s seventh Top-5 finish of the year earned him a check for $1,379.40, along with 58 national points.

After beginning the event a slim 44.5 points ahead of No. 2 Aaron Kleier (Clermont, Queensland), Richardson’s silver-finish allowed his lead to swell to 102.5 points as he seeks his first-ever PBR Australia Championship.

Two-time and reigning PBR Australia Champion Kleier, who was victorious earlier in the afternoon at the first event in the PBR Rockhampton Invitational doubleheader, was unable to gain further ground on No. 1 Richardson at the evening edition of the Monster Energy Tour event, when he was bucked off by Crack The Latch (Dittmann Bucking Bulls) in 5.78 seconds in Round 1.

Despite the uncharacteristic performance, Kleier is still on the precipice of league history.  

Should Kleier once again win the PBR Australia Championship in 2020 he would become the first rider in league history to win the nation’s championship in three consecutive seasons. Additionally, Kleier would be on the precipice of tying David Kennedy (Kyogle, New South Wales) for winningest rider in Australian history. Kennedy is a four-time PBR Australia Champion, winning the title in 2009-2010, 2012 and 2014.

Kleier is also on the verge of earning his first-ever PBR World Finals qualification, presently ranked inside the well-known Top 35 threshold.

As the No. 27-ranked rider in the world, 66.33 points ahead of No. 36 Ryan Dirteater (Hulbert, Oklahoma), Kleier is positioned to earn a berth directly to the 2020 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast when the event debuts inside the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys on November 12-15 in Arlington, Texas at AT&T Stadium.

Lawson Nobbs (Moura, Queensland) was third, earning $1,219.80 and 45 national points.

After winning Round 1 with an 87.5-point score on Cattle King King’s Ransom (Dittmann Bucking Bulls), the 23-year-old was unable to remain perfect when he was bested by Cattle King Boogers Beach (Dittmann Bucking Bulls) in 1.7 seconds in the championship round.

Nobbs’ efforts allowed him to surge 13 positions in the national standings, climbing from No. 26 to No. 13. He is now within 2.5 points of the Top 10 and 381 points of No. 1 Richardson.

PBR World Finals qualifier Kurt Shephard (Mareeba, Queensland) was propelled to a fourth-place finish compliments of his 84.5-point ride on Forever Amen (Brandenburg Bucking Bulls) in Round 1.

Matching up with one of the event’s top bulls in the championship round, Shephard was denied his second PBR Australia event victory of 2020 when he was bucked off by POA Fully Locked & Loaded (Dittmann Bucking Bulls) in a quick 3.6 seconds in the final round.

Despite earning $570 and 29 national points, Shephard slipped one position in the national standings, in what is shaping up to be one of the most fiercely contested Australian national championship races in league history.

Shephard is now ranked No. 5, 301.5 points back of No. 1 Richardson.

Jay Borghero (Beaudesert, Queensland) rounded out the Top 5 in fifth, collecting a check for $239.40 along with 14 national points.

The 25-year-old, who finished third in the opening edition of the double-header, rode High Class Hooker (Brandenburg/MJ Bucking Bulls) for 83 points in Round 1, before being dealt a swift 1.75-second buck off by Razor Sharp (Peter Wallace) in in the championship round.

Marking his sixth Top-5 finish of the 2020 season, Borghero climbed from No. 21 to No. 17 in the national standings. He is now within 13.5 points of the Top 10 and 392 points of No. 1 Richardson.

In the bull pen, POA Fully Locked & Loaded and Razor Sharp posted matching 43.5-point bull scores to earn the coveted bull of the event honors. Both bucking in the championship round, POA Fully Locked & Loaded dispatched Shephard in 3.6 seconds, while Razor Sharp made swift work of Borghero, sending him to the ground in a quick 1.75 seconds.

For Razor Sharp the score earned the surging young bovine athlete his second consecutive bull of the event honors. Also bucking in the first installment of the PBR Rockhampton Invitational earlier in the afternoon, the bull posted a head-turning 44-point score to top the event’s bull pen.

Four additional bulls also delivered outs marked in excess of 43 points. While Cattle King King’s Ransom bucked to his 43-point score in Round 1, Barn Yard, King Kong (Fred Kleier) and Cattle King Boogers Beach all posted the matching score in the championship round.

Fans can relive all the action for the 2020 PBR Australia Monster Energy Tour’s Rockhampton Invitational on RidePass starting at 8:00 a.m. AEST on Sunday, October 18 at RidePass.com or via the RidePass app available on iOS, Android and Roku.

The PBR Australia Monster Energy Tour is anticipated to next travel to Beaudesert, Queensland, and the Beaudesert Showgrounds with the 2020 PBR Beaudesert Invitational on Saturday, October 31. The tour stop will once again feature a double-header competition, with action getting underway at both 1:00 p.m. AEST and 6:00 p.m. AEST. Stay tuned to PBRAustralia.com.au for the latest event information.

PBR Australia Monster Energy Tour – PBR Rockhampton Invitational 2
Great Western Hotel – Rockhampton, Queensland
Event Leaders (Round 1- Round 2-Event Aggregate-Payout-Australian Points)
1. Sam Woodall, 86-87.5-173.5-$2,291.40-77
2. Lachlan Richardson, 84-85-169-$1,379.40-58
3. Lawson Nobbs, 87.5-0-87.5-$1,219.80-45
4. Kurt Shephard, 84.5-0-84.5-$570-29
5. Jay Borghero, 83-0-83-$239.40-14
6. Caiden Sandilands, 82.5-0-82.5-$0-8
7. Braydon Wellby, 81.5-0-81.5-$0-6
8. Bailey Woodard, 80-0-80-$0-4
Aaron Kleier, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Jake Curr, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Jackson Gray, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Kelsey Pavlou, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Jack McArthur, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Matt Hollis, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Mitchel Paton, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Zane Hall, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Sam Champ, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Brady Fielder, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Ty Thomson, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Lane Mellers, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Brendan Buckholz, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Josh Cavanagh, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Michael Smith, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Ben Gard, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Jack Keats, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Cameron McLennan, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Brody Woodard, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Tyler Morgan, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Beau Willis, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Joey Buckingham, 0-0-0.00-$0-0