Resilient Team New South Wales Edges Team Queensland by One Ride to Win PBR Origin II – Tamworth

TAMWORTH, NSW – As the 2022 PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Australia Monster Energy Tour Origin series continued Saturday evening in Tamworth, New South Wales, a resilient Team New South Wales kept their championship dreams alive, edging Team Queensland by one ride to win PBR Origin II – Tamworth and even the score to 1-1.

In front of a sold-out crowd at AELEC Arena, action was fierce from the moment the first chute gate opened with Captains Aaron Kleier (Clermont, Queensland) and Cody Heffernan (Singleton, New South Wales) both converting in the opening two outs. For the Maroons, four-time PBR Australia Champion Kleier covered Spokane (Throsby & Russell Bucking Bulls), marked 83.5 points, while 2016 PBR Australia Champion Heffernan registered 68.5 points atop Lost It (Throsby Russell JC Cattle Co. & Swain) for the Blues.

Caiden Sandilands (Rockhampton, Queensland) then continued the ride streak, putting 81 more points on the board for Team Queensland after he made the requisite 8 aboard Northern Lights (Throsby & Russell Bucking Bulls).

As a result, Team Queensland briefly surged to a 96-point lead.

While the string of qualified rides came to an end when the following four riders were all bested by their animal athlete counterparts, Will Purcell (Albury, New South Wales) conquered Chaos (MJ/Shultz Bucking Bulls) for 86 points to bring Team New South Wales within 10 points of Team Queensland as the second half of Round 1 got underway.

Following each state registering three buckoffs each, seven-time PBR World Finals qualifier Lachlan Richardson (Gresford, New South Wales) delivered the go-ahead score for the Blues.

Bringing the electric crowd to its feet, Richardson dominated Blowing Smoke (Throsby & Russell Bucking Bulls) for 85.5 points, propelling Team New South Wales to a 75.5-point lead.

However, just as soon as Team New South Wales pulled ahead, they again found themselves trailing their state rivals.

Not only did Michael Smith (Tully, Queensland) cover Action Jackson (J&J Riverview Cattle Company) for 76.5 points in the very next out, but Brumby Brandenburg (Clermont, Queensland) was sensational in Team Queensland’s final trip of Round 1, riding Lockdown (J&J Riverview Cattle Company) for 79.5 points.

As a result of the two unanswered scores, Team Queensland entered Round 2 with an 80.5-point lead over Team New South Wales.

Despite the opening half of the second round of competition for PBR Origin II – Tamworth being dominated by the bulls, with just two riders delivering scores, Team New South Wales began to mount their comeback.

Tamworth’s own Lachlan Slade’s (Tamworth, New South Wales) covered Hidden Agenda (Maynes Bucking Bulls) for 85 points, moments after Team Queensland’s Jackson Gray (Barcaldine, Queensland) rode Ghost Town Hornet (J&J Riverview Cattle Company) for 75.5 points.

Compliments of the score, the Blues climbed within 71 points of the Maroons.

With just a handful of outs remaining for each team, the competition intensified as the second half of Round 2 got underway.

Through the first six outs of the section, each contingent posted two qualified rides with Team New South Wales outscoring Team Queensland 168-163.5 to inch within 66.5 points of the No. 1 position on the leaderboard.

Chris Wilson (Parkville, New South Wales) and Nathan Burtenshaw (Coonamble, New South Wales) rode for Team New South Wales, covering Hazmat (Maynes Bucking Bulls) for 84.5 points and Jack Frost (Dan Klabe) for 83.5 points, respectively, while Qynn Andersen (Koumala, Queensland) and Smith added scores for Team Queensland, riding Dirty Hombre (Diamond S Bucking Bulls – Brian Scott) for 80 points and Shotgun (ST Bucking Bulls) for 83.5 points.

Team New South Wales then delivered the two rides that would all but clinch their first victory in the 2022 PBR Origin series.

Veteran rider Richardson logged his second qualified ride of the evening when he made the 8 atop Im Cool (Dan Klabe) for 84.5 points, while Captain Heffernan capped the second round with an event-best 87-point ride atop The Pet (ST Bucking Bulls).

With neither Brandenburg nor Kleier able to answer those scores for Team Queensland, Team New South Wales entered the bonus round with an 105-point lead.

In the final outs of PBR Origin II – Tamworth, Brandenburg, Andersen, Smith and Captain Kleier were tapped to ride one final time for Team Queensland, while Wilson, Slade, Richardson and Captain Heffernan earned the chance to compete one final time inside AELEC Arena for Team New South Wales.

Team New South Wales clinched the win when the first three contenders for Team Queensland bucked off their draws, but the event concluded with a pair of qualified rides.

Team Queensland’s Smith covered Big Buck Hunter (ST Bucking Bulls) for 86.5 points, and Team New South Wales’ Richardson concluded the fierce evening with his third score, an 84-point ride atop Call Me Joe (Throsby & Russell Bucking Bulls).

When the dust settled, the final scoreboard to read 748.5-646, with Team New South Wales winning PBR Origin II – Tamworth by 102.5 points, delivering one more ride than rivals Team Queensland.

With crucial national points also on the line, Team New South Wales’ Richardson finished atop the podium, collecting 69.5 national points. As a result of the golden individual finish, Richardson surged from No. 5 to No. 2 in the race for the 2022 PBR Australian Championship. He now trails No. 1 Heffernan by 58 points.

Looking down the podium, Team Queensland’s Smith was second, while Team New South Wales competitors rounded out the Top 5 with Captain Heffernan third, Purcell fourth and Slade fifth.

Smith collected 46.5 points to rise from No. 10 to No. 9 in the standings, and Heffernan added to his lead atop the standings, collecting 47 points for his bronze finish.

Purcell and Slade also gained ground in the standings, with Purcell netting 35 national points to crack the Top 10 in the nation, now No. 10, and Slade added 22 points to his total, now No. 17 in the standings.

In the bull pen, Volatile (Maynes Bucking Bulls) and Kick Start My Heart (Diamond S Bucking Bulls – Brian Scott) tied for Bull of the Event, each marked 44 points. Volatile earned the score in Round 2 when he bucked off Kleier in a swift 1.39 seconds, while Kick Start My Heart got the better of Wilson in the bonus round in 5.1 seconds.

The three-part 2022 PBR Origin series concludes on Saturday, May 21 in Brisbane, Queensland. Action for PBR Origin III – Brisbane from Brisbane Entertainment Centre gets underway at 7:00 p.m. AEDT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at pbraustralia.com.au.  

The 2022 PBR Australia season will continue Saturday, April 30 for PBR Bull Pit Touring Pro Division event in Bull Pitt, Queensland. Action will get underway at 7:00 p.m. AEDT.

2022 PBR Australia Origin – PBR Origin II – Tamworth
AELEC Arena – Tamworth, New South Wales
(Rides – Outs – Event Aggregate)
1. Team New South Wales, 9-24-748.5
2. Team Queensland, 8-24-646

2022 PBR Australia Origin – PBR Origin II – Tamworth
AELEC Arena – Tamworth, New South Wales
Event Leaders (Round 1- Round 2-Event Aggregate-Australian Points)
1. Lachlan Richardson, 85.5-84.5-84-170.00-69.5 Points.
2. Michael Smith, 76.5-83.5-86.5-160.00-46.5 Points.
3. Cody Heffernan, 68.5-87-0-155.50-47 Points.
4. Will Purcell, 86-0-0-86.00-35 Points.
5. Lachlan Slade, 0-85-0-85.00-22 Points.
6. Chris Wilson, 0-84.5-0-84.50-12.5 Points.
7. Aaron Kleier, 83.5-0-0-83.50-12.5 Points.
(tie). Nathan Burtenshaw, 0-83.5-0-83.50-7 Points.
9. Caiden Sandilands, 81-0-0-81.00-8 Points.
10. Qynn Andersen, 0-80-0-80.00-3 Points.
11. Brumby Brandenburg, 79.5-0-0-79.50-4 Points.
12. Jackson Gray, 0-75.5-0-75.50-1 Points.
Kelsey Pavlou, 0-0-0-0.00
Braith Nock, 0-0-0-0.00
Trefor Sproule, 0-0-0-0.00
Ben Moran, 0-0-0-0.00
Dan Ruhland, 0-0-0-0.00
Taran Chirgwin, 0-0-0-0.00
Thomas Hudson, 0-0-0-0.00
Oscar Leake, 0-0-0-0.00