Mareeba rider extends PBR Australia lead with 174.90 points

Mareeba rider Kurt Shephard won the PBR Australia Monster Energy Cairns Invitational with a perfect 2-for-2 performance in front of a sold-out crowd in Cairns. He finished with an aggregate score of 174.90 points and collected 254 event points plus more than $21,000 in prizemoney.

That result strengthened Shephard’s lead in the PBR Australia National Standings. The reigning champion now sits on 1,607.00 points, 328.50 ahead of Keny Roger de Oliveira of São Paulo, Brazil.

Across the event, 13 qualified rides were recorded. Shephard was one of only two riders to cover both bulls on the night.

Rockhampton’s Caiden Sandilands finished second on 173.40 points, just 1.50 behind Shephard. He posted the biggest ride of the night with 89.30 points aboard Last Post from Dunne Bulls in the Championship Round.

Sandilands joined Shephard as the only rider to go 2-for-2 in Cairns. North Queensland rider Leith Malone also impressed in Round 1 with 86.10 points aboard Cowboy Way from Kleier Bucking Bulls.

On the bull side, El Chappo from Dittmann Bucking Bulls took YETI Bull of the Night honours with a 44.70-point score.

Townsville 500 at Reid Park

Next, the PBR Australia Monster Energy Tour stays in North Queensland for the Touring Pro Division at the Supercars Townsville 500 on Saturday 11 July. The event is set for Reid Park in Townsville from 5pm.

After Townsville, the tour heads to Sydney for the PBR Australia Monster Energy Origin Series Final. PBR Australia lists Keny Roger de Oliveira second in the standings, followed by Ethan Coster of Miriam Vale, Zane Hall of Athol and Donnie Rutherfurd of Mount Isa.