Middleton is the rider to beat

EMERALD and former Hughenden cowboy Clancy Middleton will be hard to beat as he is the form cowboy going into this weekend’s Cloncurry Rodeo, one of the big three events in the Australian Professional Rodeo Association.

Middleton won two state titles and was runner up for a third at the APRA championships last weekend at the Longreach Stockman’s Hall of Fame.

He was first in steer wrestling and team roping and recorded a second in the rope and tie.

Middleton teamed with Shane Iker, of Alton Downs, in the team roping.

Beaudesert cowboy Jarod Borghero scored 85 points to win the bull ride at Longreach by four points.

A score of 80 points or more was needed to win each of the rough stock events at the state championships.

Cody Angland, at Wantabadgery near Wagga Wagga, won the bareback with 85points and Michael Maher, of Warwick, was saddle bronc winner with 83 points.

The only other cowboy to score 80 in rough stock events was bull rider Sonny Schafferius who rode his bull to get 81 for second behind Borghero.

Rodeo action moves on to Cloncurry this weekend with 396 nominations in open, second division and junior events.

There will be plenty of cowgirls attending with 40 nominations in the barrel race and 29 entries in breakaway roping. The best supported event is team roping with 70 nominations.

Thirty-eight bull riders are in the open event, including Grant Wells, of Boulia, who has already won on the Northern Run.

Cloncurry is the second last weekend of rodeo action on the Northern Run before competitors head to the Mt Isa Rotary Rodeo on August 6-8.

State championship winners at Longreach were: Bull ride Jared Borghero, bareback Cody Angland, saddle bronc Michael Maher, rope and tie Michael Stanley, steer wrestling Clancy Middleton, team roping Shane Iker and Clancy Middleton, barrel race Karen Upton, breakaway roping Rebecca Van Houten, junior steer ride Cameron Milner, junior barrel race Calla Matthews, junior breakaway roping Calla Matthews.

 Rodeo program: July 31-August 1 Cloncurry; August 6-8 Mt Isa; August 13-14 Darwin; August 21 Mataranka; August 27 Moura.

More information from APRA on 07 4661 8183.