Hunter cowboys Cliff Richardson, Gresford and Cody Heffernan, Singleton, have booked their places to compete at the nation’s biggest Professional Bull Riding (PBR) event of the year – the crowning PBR Grand Finals in Townsville this November 23 & 24.
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Off the back of an impressive year of performances on the 2018 PBR Australia Tour, Richardson and Heffernan have officially made the top-18 Australian rider-cutoff to qualify for the pinnacle year-end event, which will run at Townsville Entertainment Centre over two bumper nights of make-or-break action.
The event attracts 18 of Australia’s top riders, as well as four key internationals, for a head-to-head battle that will ultimately decide the 2018 PBR Australia National Champion title.
The Hunter duo are, at this stage the only two competitors flying the flag for News South Wales at the Grand Finals, with the roster currently dominated by Queensland riders. They will join a stellar field in the lineup, alongside almost every top rider on the current Australian Standings including Queensland riders Aaron Kleier (Clermont), brothers Mitchell and Justin Paton (Nebo) and Ryan Storey (Mackay), as well as 2015 PBR Australia Champion Fraser Babbington.
International riders confirmed to the Townsville lineup include former Brazilian #2 Lucas Divino, and fellow Brazilian riders Junior Quaresima and Rubens Barbosa.
Throughout 2018, the battle for this year’s Australian title has remained neck-and-neck between four key riders – #1 Aaron Kleier, #2 Cliff Richardson, #3 Fraser Babbington and #4 Cody Heffernan – and all remain in contention to take out the top prize depending on how the Grand Finals play out.
“The fight for the Aussie title is at full throttle pace – it’s down to the wire. All of the riders are dialled in and have their eye on the prize – so we expect to see some exceptional efforts as the front-runners fight for supremacy,” said PBR Australia General Manager, Glen Young.
“Both Babbington and Heffernan have already nabbed an Australian title, and Kleier and Richardson have been in striking distance before – so we know that all of the boys have the pedigree and potential to rise to the top,” added Glen Young.
Cody Heffernan took out the PBR Australia title in 2016, while Richardson has finished the season within the top 5 on multiple occasions – his best year-end ranking being #4 in both 2013 and 2014. With his current ranking of #2 on the Australian Standings, Richardson is on track for his best ever year-end finish, as well as a possible maiden PBR Australia title.
Since the inception of the PBR in Townsville nearly two decades ago, more than $1 million dollars in prize money has been paid out.