Game Notes – 2022 PBR Origin III – Brisbane

WHO WILL RIDE SUPREME IN BRISBANE – This weekend, the 2022 PBR Origin series will come to a climactic end as Brisbane, Queensland, and Brisbane Entertainment Centre prepares to host PBR Origin III. The 2022 PBR Origin marks the third iteration of the state vs. state bull riding showdown, modeled after the State of Origin rugby league event that is considered Australian sport’s greatest rivalry. Action gets underway at 7:00 p.m. AEAT.

RELATED: Click here for the complete game notes for PBR Origin III - Brisbane.

THIS WEEKEND’S FORMAT – The 2022 PBR Australia Origin III – Brisbane will feature three rounds of competition. After each of the 10 competing bull riders for both teams attempt one bull each in Round 1 and Round 2, the Top 4 riders from each team will advance to the bonus round for one final out. The event winner will be the team with the highest combined score in the event aggregate. In addition to vying the title of PBR Australia Origin Champion and their share of the event purse, riders will also be competing for points towards the Australian national standings and broader PBR World Standings. All points will be awarded for each riders’ efforts in Round 1, Round 2 and the event aggregate. No points will be awarded for the bonus round.

LET’S RECAP: PBR ORIGIN I – NEWCASTLE – In late March, the 2022 PBR Origin series got underway in Newcastle, New South Wales, as Team Queensland fought off a hard-charging Team New South Wales to edge to an early 1-0 lead in the battle of states. Here is a round-by-round recap of the opening event:

• Round 1: The Maroons were quick to strike in their first out of the evening as four-time and reigning PBR Australia Champion and Queensland Captain Aaron Kleiercovered Hearing Voices for 81.5 points. Following the successful trip, Team Queensland’s momentum continued to mount. The Maroons delivered five additional scores before Team New South Wales registered their first qualified ride. Michael Smith rode Bluey for 83 points, Jake Curr conquered Midnight Special for 83 points, Qynn Andersen bested Night Fury for 84.5 points, Kelsey Pavlou covered Mac Daddy for 79.5 points, and Taran Chirgwin outlasted Dirty Hombre for 81.5 points. Compliments of their six unanswered rides, Team Queensland’s lead briefly swelled to 493 points. Down but not out, Lachlan Slade righted the ship for Team New South Wales, igniting a comeback which nearly led to the Blues’ first ever event win in the PBR Australia Monster Energy Tour Origin series. Matched up against A Force, Slade matched the bovine athlete jump-for-jump, en route to an 83-point score. Preventing a shutout in Round 1, Team New South Wales entered Round 2 trailing Team Queensland by 410 points.
• Round 2: New South Wales Captain, and 2016 PBR Australia Champion, Cody Heffernanset the tone early for his contingent in the second round. After watching on as rival captain Kleier was bucked off by Kit Carson in a swift 1.94 seconds, Heffernan responded with a resounding 86-point ride atop Call Me Joe. Compliments of the score, Team Queensland’s lead again shrunk, with Team New South Wales climbing within 324 points. While both the Maroons and Blues registered buckoffs in their outs that followed, Will Purcell was next to convert for Team New South Wales, bringing his home state team within 243.5 points after he rode G Shock for 80.5 points. Team New South Wales’ three-score unanswered streak, however, came to an end the next time the chute gates at Newcastle Entertainment Centre burst open. Marking his second qualified ride of the evening, 18-year-old Andersen rode Breaking Bad for 83.5 points to grow Team Queensland’s lead to 237 points. Andersen, however, was the only rider to cover for Team Queensland in Round 2. As the second long round of competition wound to a close, both Braith Nock and Lachlan Richardson added points to the board for Team New South Wales. Nock rode Lost It for 84 points, and Richardson made the 8 atop Spokane for 84.5 points. Compliments of their resurgence, Team New South Wales kept their hopes alive, entering the bonus round within a mere 158.5 points of Team Queensland.
• Bonus Round: In the final outs of PBR Origin I – Newcastle, Chirgwin, Smith, Andersen and Captain Kleier were tapped to ride one final time for Team Queensland, while Slade, Nock, Richardson and Captain Heffernan earned the chance to compete one final time inside Newcastle Entertainment Centre for Team New South Wales. After both Slade and Nock bucked off for the Blues, Captain Kleier clinched the win for Team Queensland when he covered Big Buck Hunterfor 86 points. With two riders for each state still left to ride, Heffernan rode Cliffhanger for 87 points, and Andersen bested Natural Hillbilly for 85 points, leading the final scoreboard to read 747.5-505, with Team Queensland winning PBR Origin I – Newcastle by 242.5 points, outscoring Team New South Wales by three ride scores.

LET’S RECAP: PBR ORIGIN II – TAMWORTH – The 2022 PBR Origin series continued with the second installment of the state vs. state showdown in late April in Tamworth, New South Wales. In a must win situation, a resilient Team New South Wales kept their championship dreams alive, edging Team Queensland by one ride to win PBR Origin II – Tamworth and even the score to 1-1.

• Round 1: In front of a sold-out crowd at AELEC Arena, action was fierce from the moment the first chute gate opened with Captains Aaron and Cody Heffernan both converting in the opening two outs. For the Maroons, four-time PBR Australia Champion Kleier covered Spokane for 83.5 points, while 2016 PBR Australia Champion Heffernan registered 68.5 points atop Lost It for the Blues. Caiden Sandilands then continued the ride streak, putting 81 more points on the board for Team Queensland after he made the requisite 8 aboard Northern Lights. As a result, Team Queensland briefly surged to a 96-point lead. While the string of qualified rides came to an end when the following four riders were all bested by their animal athlete counterparts, Will Purcell conquered Chaos for 86 points to bring Team New South Wales within 10 points of Team Queensland as the second half of Round 1 got underway. Following each state registering three buckoffs each, seven-time PBR World Finals qualifier Lachlan Richardson delivered the go-ahead score for the Blues. Bringing the electric crowd to its feet, Richardson dominated Blowing Smoke for 85.5 points, propelling Team New South Wales to a 75.5-point lead. However, just as soon as Team New South Wales pulled ahead, they again found themselves trailing their state rivals. Not only did Michael Smith cover Action Jackson for 76.5 points in the very next out, but Brumby Brandenburg was sensational in Team Queensland’s final trip of Round 1, riding Lockdown for 79.5 points. As a result of the two unanswered scores, Team Queensland entered Round 2 with an 80.5-point lead over Team New South Wales.
• Round 2: Despite the opening half of the second round of competition for PBR Origin II – Tamworth being dominated by the bulls, with just two riders delivering scores, Team New South Wales began to mount their comeback. Tamworth’s own Lachlan Slade covered Hidden Agenda for 85 points, moments after Team Queensland’s Jackson Gray rode Ghost Town Hornet for 75.5 points. Compliments of the score, the Blues climbed within 71 points of the Maroons. With just a handful of outs remaining for each team, the competition intensified as the second half of Round 2 got underway. Through the first six outs of the section, each contingent posted two qualified rides with Team New South Wales outscoring Team Queensland 168-163.5 to inch within 66.5 points of the No. 1 position on the leaderboard. Chris Wilson and Nathan Burtenshaw rode for Team New South Wales, covering Hazmat for 84.5 points and Jack Frost for 83.5 points, respectively, while Qynn Andersen and Smith added scores for Team Queensland, riding Dirty Hombre for 80 points and Shotgun for 83.5 points. Team New South Wales then delivered the two rides that would all but clinch their first victory in the 2022 PBR Origin series. Veteran rider Richardson logged his second qualified ride of the evening when he made the 8 atop Im Cool for 84.5 points, while Captain Heffernan capped the second round with an event-best 87-point ride atop The Pet. With neither Brandenburg nor Kleier able to answer those scores for Team Queensland, Team New South Wales entered the bonus round with an 105-point lead.
• Bonus Round: In the final outs of PBR Origin II – Tamworth, Brandenburg, Andersen, Smith and Captain Kleier were tapped to ride one final time for Team Queensland, while Wilson, Slade, Richardson and Captain Heffernan earned the chance to compete one final time inside AELEC Arena for Team New South Wales. Team New South Wales clinched the win when the first three contenders for Team Queensland bucked off their draws, but the event concluded with a pair of qualified rides. Team Queensland’s Smith covered Big Buck Hunter for 86.5 points, and Team New South Wales’ Richardson concluded the fierce evening with his third score, an 84-point ride atop Call Me Joe. When the dust settled, the final scoreboard to read 748.5-646, with Team New South Wales winning PBR Origin II – Tamworth by 102.5 points, delivering one more ride than rivals Team Queensland.

TEAM QUEENSLAND – These are the 10 riders that will ride for the Team Queensland Maroons at PBR Origin III – Brisbane:

Captain Aaron Kleier (Clermont, Queensland)
Qynn Anderson (Koumala, Queensland)
Brumby Brandenburg (Clermont, Queensland)
Kelsey Pavlou (Gracemere, Queensland)
Michael Smith (Tully, Queensland)
*Jake Curr (Mount Isa, Queensland)
Caiden Sandilands (Rockhampton, Queensland)
Ben Moran (Yeppoon, Queensland)
Jackson Gray (Barcaldine, Queensland)
*Beau Willis (Bowen, Queensland)

*Denotes a rider who did not compete at PBR Origin II – Tamworth.

TEAM NEW SOUTH WALES – These are the 10 riders that will ride for the Team New South Wales Blues at PBR Origin III – Brisbane:

Captain Cody Heffernan (Singleton, New South Wales)
Lachlan Richardson (Gresford, New South Wales)
Braith Nock (Bendemeer, New South Wales)
Will Purcell (Albury, New South Wales)
Chris Wilson (Parkville, New South Wales)
Nathan Burtenshaw (Coonamble, New South Wales)
Lachlan Slade (Tamworth, New South Wales)
Thomas Hudson (Dungog, New South Wales)
Trefor Sproule (Singleton, New South Wales)
*Sam Woodall (Luddenham, New South Wales)

*Denotes a rider who did not compete at PBR Origin II – Tamworth.

FAMILIAR WATERS – Round 1 of PBR Origin III – Brisbane, three riders will face rematches, headlined by the fourth meeting between Aaron Kleier and Freckles Brown. After Freckles Brown bucked off Kleier in 3.6 seconds during the inaugural PBR Origin event in Sydney, New South Wales, in 2019, Kleier covered him in their very next out, scored 89 points later that season in Cairns, Queensland. However, Freckles Brown bested Kleier in their most recent meeting, bucking him off in 4 seconds during a 2020 tour stop in Rockhampton, Queensland. Beau Willis and Brumby Brandenburg will also face familiar opponents in the opening round. Willis will look to avenge his 3.05-second buckoff dealt to him by Double Dealings earlier this year in Toowoomba, while Brandenburg will be eager to reverse his fortunes from 2020 when Dunya Jacket bucked him off in 3.62 seconds in Toowoomba.

In Round 2, five riders will face past opponents. For Lachlan Richardson, he will be locked in a rubber match with Flyin Hippie. After bucking off the bull in 1.86 seconds in Airlie Beach, Queensland, in 2020, Richardson covered him for 87.5 points at the 2021 event in Burnett Heads, Queensland. Qynn Andersen will also climb aboard a bull he has attempted twice prior, but however, has never made the 8. Registering both buckoffs this season, Comeback Kid first got the better of Andersen in 1.72 seconds in Rockhampton, Queensland, only to toss him in 3 seconds at the recent event in Bloomsbury. The other rematches are:

Caiden Sandilands vs. Living on Dreams (2021 PBRA Grand Finals – Townsville, QLD | 2.08 seconds)
Kelsey Pavlou vs. Iron Jacket (2020 PBRA Grand Finals – Townsville, QLD | 4.49 seconds)
Michael Smith vs. Alcatraz (2022 PBRA Monster Energy Tour – Toowoomba, QLD | 4.29 seconds)

PAST BRISBANE EVENT WINNERS – The PBR last travelled to Brisbane in 2021, hosing the opening installment of that season’s PBR Origin Tournament. At the event, the raucous crowd inside Brisbane Entertainment Centre was kept on the edge of their seats until the final out as Team New South Wales and Team Queensland duked it out to determine which state is the supreme bull riding powerhouse. Holding off a hard-charging Team New South Wales, Team Queensland won the opening stop of the three-part tournament in Brisbane, edging the Blues by one ride and a mere 88 points. Not including the 2021 PBR Origin stop, historically, PBR Australia has held nine events in Brisbane, including the uniquely progressive elimination formatted Last Cowboy Standing from 2015-2019. Riders from around the world travelled to Brisbane, Queensland looking to conquer Australia’s rankest bulls, earn crucial world and national points, and be crowned the season’s Australian Last Cowboy Standing. In 2019, Kurt Shephard went a perfect 3-for-3 to earn the victory in Brisbane. Shephard first rode Posting Bail for 82.5 points, before going the distance aboard POA Lock N Load for 88.5 points, and covering Ooh Call Me Joe for 86.5 points. Throughout the PBR’s storied history in Brisbane, only one rider, Cody Heffernan, has won the tour stop in back-to-back seasons. After dominating the event in 2015, Heffernan was again crowned the Last Cowboy Standing in 2016 en route to his first PBR Australia Championship.

The complete list of past winners for the non-PBR Origin events is as follows:

Kurt Shephard (2019)
Cliff Richardson (2018)
J.W. Harris (2017)
Cody Heffernan (2016)
Cody Heffernan (2015)
Clancy Butler (2013)
Chase Outlaw (2012)
Rocky McDonald (2011)
Jim Rowsell (2010)

BULL PEN – At this weekend’s PBR Origin III – Brisbane event, stock contractors from both Queensland and New South Wales will provide animal athletes as the 2022 iteration of the state vs. state series holds its third stop. In the bull pen, Dittmann Bucking Bulls, Peter Wallace, BK Bucking Bulls, JD Bucking Bulls, MJ/Keliher Bucking Bulls, Ruhland Bucking Bulls, Running Gold Bucking Bulls and ST Bucking Bulls will all have bucking bulls onsite that hail from Queensland.

PROVIDING PROTECTION – This weekend’s protection athletes are Shane Simpson, Jared Borghero and Kerry Whitehouse.

NEXT UP – The 2022 PBR Australia season will continue Saturday, May 28 for PBR Cooyar Touring Pro Division event in Cooyar, Queensland. Action at the Cooyar Showgrounds will get underway at 7:00 p.m. AEDT.