King Kurt Reigns: Mareeba Cowboy Dominates Sold-Out Cairns PBR
Mareeba local Kurt Shephard has proven exactly why he wears the title of Australia’s number one bull rider after delivering a perfect performance to win the PBR Australia Monster Energy Cairns Invitational.
In front of a sold out crowd, the reigning national champion held off a charging field of the country’s best riders to claim the event buckle. Shephard secured the top spot with an aggregate score of 174.90 points, walking away with 254 crucial event points and more than $21,000 in prizemoney. The dominant victory further strengthens his hold on the national title race, extending his lead at the top of the PBR Australia National Standings to 328.50 points ahead of Brazil’s Keny Roger de Oliveira.
It was an epic night of action that produced 13 qualified rides, but the Queensland charge did not stop with the winner. Rockhampton’s Caiden Sandilands came within touching distance of victory, finishing as the runner up with an aggregate score of 173.40 points. Sandilands produced the biggest single ride of the night, bringing the Cairns crowd to its feet with a massive 89.30 point effort aboard Last Post in the Championship Round. Ultimately, Shephard and Sandilands were the only two competitors of the night to successfully cover both of their bulls.
The standard of North Queensland’s rising talent was also on full display, highlighted by Leith Malone who recorded a huge 86.10 point ride aboard Cowboy Way during the opening round. On the bovine side of the draw, El Chappo from Dittmann Bucking Bulls claimed the Bull of the Night honours after impressing judges with a 44.70 point bull score.
The toughest cowboys in the country will have little time to rest as the action stays in the north. The bulls are now heading to Townsville, where PBR Australia will join the lineup at the NTI Townsville 500 this coming Saturday, July 11.