What’s happening?
Mackay was the centre of bull riding action last weekend as the PBR Australia Monster Energy Tour rolled into town. Over two nights, 21 of the nation’s best riders took to BB Print Stadium chasing vital points before the Townsville Grand Finals.
Riders from Calliope, Rockhampton, Bajool, Mareeba, Mount Isa, Athol (Toowoomba) and Gympie, plus NSW’s Willow Tree, Hunter Valley and Barraba, delivered two nights of high scores and tough rides.
Brazil’s Alison Aguiar went three for four to win his third PBR Monster Energy event of the season, thrilling the crowd with a 253-point total and collecting $7,250. The victory pushed him to No. 4 in the National Standings.
Why it matters
The Mackay Invitational set the stage for the 2025 PBR Grand Finals in Townsville later this month. The race for the national title is tightening. “We’re at the business end of the 2025 season, and every ride matters. Anything can happen over the next few weeks, which makes the Grand Finals in Townsville set to be the ultimate bull riding showdown,” said PBR Australia Managing Director Glen Young.
By the numbers
• Alison Aguiar scored 253 points to take the winning total at the Mackay Invitational.
• He earned $7,250 in prize money for his third PBR Monster Energy win of the season.
• Mareeba’s Kurt Shephard remains Australia’s top cowboy with 1,983.33 points in the National Standings.
• Alpha Blokes Warden and Winchester both received 44 points, sharing the YETI ABBI High Marked Bull of the Night award.
Zoom in
Mount Isa’s Donovan Rutherfurd gave North Queensland fans plenty to cheer for. He won Round 1 on Ambush (CF7 Bucking Bulls) with 85.5 points and shared Round 2 with NSW’s Clint Glass after another strong 86-point ride on Revolver (Dunne Bulls).
Glass finished second overall with 250.50 points, while Thomas Hudson (Dungog, NSW) placed fourth. Brazil’s Luan Crystian Camara stayed in the hunt with two qualified rides from four attempts.
Queensland’s best-placed rider was Athol’s Zane Hall, who finished fifth with an 85-point ride on Double Shot (TF Bucking Bulls). Mareeba’s Kurt Shephard, Calliope’s Ben Bode, and Rockhampton’s Caiden Sandilands all added scores to round out the Top 10.
Local impact
Shephard holds the top spot in the National Standings with 1,983.33 points despite finishing seventh in Mackay. Camara closed the gap by 34 points, while Glass tightened his grip on third. Aguiar rose to fourth, just five points behind Glass and under 800 from Shephard.
Alpha Blokes Warden, from MJ and Keliher Bucking Bulls, earned his seventh High Marked Bull of the Night award, sharing the honour with Winchester after both scored 44 in Round 1.
Future stars shine
Young riders proved the future of the sport is bright. Gympie’s nine-year-old Jasper Wieland took another Pee Wee Division win, following his success in Nowra last weekend.
The Junior Division title went to 11-year-old Noah Lowe from Barraba, NSW. Fourteen-year-old Chase Wieland from Gympie claimed the Senior Division, while 17-year-old Taj Everingham from Bajool was named Rising Star.
Zoom out
Full Mackay Invitational results and standings are available online. The full replay can be viewed on YouTube, and event information is listed on the PBR Australia website.
What to look for next
The tour now moves to Kilkivan on October 11, followed by the Tamworth Iron Cowboy rounds on October 24 and 25, before the Grand Finals in Townsville on October 31 and November 1 at the Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre.
