After a six-week break, PBR Australia competition resumes this weekend at the Queensland State Equestrian Centre Arena on Saturday, 30 August 2025, for the Caboolture Invitational.

The Can-Am Junior Academy will kick things off in the arena from 5:00 p.m. with the Monster Energy Tour event beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Event History

Recent winners of the Caboolture Invitational include Zane Hall, who recorded his first Monster Energy Tour win in 2024. The Athol young-gun was the only rider to finish the event with a perfect 3-for-3 record.

Heywood's Sam Woodall picked up the buckle in 2023 after producing one of the highest 2-bull totals we have seen in the PBR Australia competition. In 2022, it was Aaron Kleier who finished on top, after recording dual 86-point scores on a tough night for the cowboys. 

Bowen veteran Beau Willis claimed the 2021 title in Caboolture on a low-scoring night, and in 2020, Toora cowboy Kelsey Pavlou picked up his maiden PBR event win here during his rookie campaign.

View the latest results from the 2025 PBR Australia season here.

Format, Prizemoney and Points

Thirty-three bull riders will contest the 2025 edition of the Caboolture Invitational, and there will be $20,000 up for grabs. All riders will face a bull in the opening round, with the top 10 returning for the Championship Round.

A maximum of 280 points will be available to any individual rider towards the 2025 PBR Australian National Standings. The winner of each round will receive 40 points, and the event winner will receive 200 points.

Watch all the action on PBR Australia’s YouTube Channel and Live Stream page from 7:00 p.m. AEST on Saturday.

Talking Points

Shephard stays hot through winter to extend National Standings lead

It was a great run through winter for the No. 1-ranked Kurt Shephard, and he has now won 1684.33 points and over $65,000 for the season.

The Mareeba cowboy was hot through the autumn run of events and carried that consistency through the winter months. He picked up the event win at PBR Origin II in Brisbane, finished runner-up at Burnett Heads and Cairns and added top 4 finishes at Origin I in Newcastle and at the Tasman Cup in Townsville. 

He went 9-for-15 through that period and has extended his lead in the National Standings to just shy of 400 points. 

Shephard's closest opponent for the gold buckle remains Luan Crystian Camara. The Brazilian bull rider was shut out at the last two tour stops heading into the break, but he still sits comfortably in second place and also holds a commanding lead in the race to become this season's Rookie of the Year.

Zane Hall is the next best-placed rider still competing in Australia, and he is just under 500 points adrift of Camara. He sits 4th in the standings with Alison Aguilar, Ben Bode, Tyson Smith and Rylee Ward all nipping at his heels.

There are still over 2000 points up for grabs at the seven tour stops remaining before we get to the Grand Finals in Townsville. So, while all riders are still mathematically in contention for the PBR Australian National Championship, time is running out.

Short list for Bucking Bull of the Year taking shape

The riders are not the only ones running out of opportunities to enter the conversation for a year-end award. This event will likely be one of the final opportunities for Queensland-based bulls to post qualifying trips in the race to become Bucking Bull of the Year.

Only the top-ranked contenders will secure a position in the Championship Round at the Grand Finals, and the highest-marked bull in that round will be crowned the 2025 Bucking Bull of the Year. Each bull's average score is calculated from its best five trips at qualifying events throughout the season. Heading into Caboolture, the cutoff for qualification appears to be settling very close to a 42.50-point average. 

Currently, Alpha Blokes Warden (MJ/Keliher Bucking Bulls) leads the race with his best five trips of the season averaging 44.08 points. Mooseys Moto Moto (MJ/Keliher Bucking Bulls) is second on an average mark of 43.40 points, and Cattle King Roid Rage (Dittmann Bucking Bulls) is close behind in third on 43.30 points.

This weekend, we will see five bulls compete that sit on, or are within 0.1 points of the projected cut line. The Dittmann Bucking Bulls trio of Halliday Witch Way, Joker and Cohens Tequila all need to average a bull score of over 42.50 in their remaining trips this season to qualify. The Dunne Bulls duo of Ariat Last Strike and Roam Aviation Without Warning have already clocked up more than five trips this season, so any bull score above the 42-point mark will improve their top-5 averages.

Matchups to Watch

Round 1 of the competition looks to be a tough one for the cowboys on paper. There are a bunch of rarely ridden bulls in the draw and a lot of unfavourable matchups, but there are a few gems scattered amongst them. Lets take a look at a few of them.

Caiden Sandilands on 922 Jackie Red (Dunne Bulls)

Jackie Red has become one of the more favourable draws on tour since he kicked off his career early last season. Since the 2024 Caboolture Invitational, this bull has been ridden for a score in seven of his twelve outs, with an average score of 85.57 points awarded. This bull tends to start off his trip to the right, or with a fake to the right, before turning back to the left. Four left-handed riders have been successful, so that should give Sandilands plenty of confidence heading into this matchup. The Rockhampton cowboy hasn't been in the best of form over the last few months and has slid to 15th in the standings, but this matchup will give him a chance to start ramping things up as the Grand Finals approach.

Alison Aguilar on 139 Kinky Ninja (Keliher Bucking Bulls)

The Brazilian bull rider finished July on fire, winning back-to-back events in Townsville and Cairns. Since May, he has ridden eight of his fifteen bulls, handling them in both directions and has just one buck-off short of the 4-second mark. I have been waiting to see a top-ranked left-handed bull rider climb aboard Kinky Ninja, so I will be paying close attention to this matchup. This bull is only just beginning his PBR career, and he has bucked off all four riders that he has drawn so far. Buck off times have been into the 3-second range, and he appears to favour a strong trip to the left. This matchup looks to be a good one for Aguilar, and it could net him another round win if he can make the whistle. It will also put him into a prime spot to make it three event wins in a row.

Sam Woodall on 920 Redemption (Ruhland Ranch Bucking Bulls)

Woodall has produced some memorable rides since his return to competition in May, and his riding percentage for the season stands at 55.56%. However, due to the time missed, he currently sits in the No. 17 spot in the standings. I know he would like to get his name into the top 10 over the next few weeks, and while the potential for a round-winning score in this matchup is low, it will likely get him a second bull in the Championship Round and a chance at the event win. Redemption was ridden in his first two trips for scores in the 79-point range but has since bucked off three straight riders. He appears to be figuring out his best trip as he gains more experience and developed a pattern of turning back to the right and bucks at a nice tempo. That should suit the Heywood talent, and we can expect a score in the low 80-point range.

View the full Daysheet for the 2025 Caboolture Invitational.

For the latest results, news and stats, stay tuned to PBRAustralia.com.au, follow the tour on Facebook (PBR Australia), Instagram (@PBRAustralia) and TikTok (@PBRAustralia) and subscribe to @ProBullRidersAust on YouTube for live events, replays and highlights.