Aaron Kleier Wins PBR Bull Pit Event in Bloomsburg to Rise to No. 2 in the Race for the 2022 PBR Australian Championship

BLOOMSBURY, Qld. – Continuing his pursuit of further history this past weekend, four-time PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Australia Champion Aaron Kleier (Clermont, Queensland) earned his third event win of the 2022 season, topping the field at the Touring Pro Division’s PBR Bull Pit to surge to No. 2 in the heated race to be crowned the PBR Australia Champion.

After tying David Kennedy (Kyogle, New South Wales) for most Australian national titles won by one rider in league history in 2021, each now with four, should Kleier win his unprecedented fifth consecutive national title at season’s end, he would become the winningest bull rider in PBR Australia competition.

In Round 1, Kleier was quick to put points on the board, making the requisite 8 atop Choppa (Blackhall Livestock/Essential Mining Services) for 84.5 points.

Positioned second on the event leaderboard as the championship round got underway, Kleier next readied to face off against Razor Sharp (Peter Wallace).

A familiar showdown, Kleier attempted the powerful bovine athlete twice prior in 2021, bucked off in 1.49 seconds at PBR Origin I – Brisbane, and in a slightly longer 3.06 seconds at the 2021 PBR Australia Grand Finals in Townsville.

Kleier, however, reversed his fortunes, dominating the powerful animal athlete en route to an event-winning 85-point score.

For his efforts, Kleier, who was the only rider to go a perfect 2-for-2, collected 30 national points. After travelling to the event ranked No. 3 in the national standings, Kleier climbed to No. 2, now within 34 points of top-ranked Cody Heffernan (Singleton, New South Wales).

Heffernan retained his position atop the national standings after he tied for fourth to earn 5 national points.

Going 1-for-2, Heffernan rode 9 Crimes (Diamond J Rodeo Co.) for 83 points in the opening round, however was unable to go the distance atop POA Reload (Dittmann Bucking Bulls) in the championship round, sent to the dirt in 4.63 seconds.

Held in tandem with the main event, Kleier also took on the unridden Roid Rage (Dittmann Bucking Bulls) as the champions’ trilogy of bounty matchups got underway. Collectively, famed PBR Australia stock contractor Jason Dittmann has put a collective $30,000 on the line for the three showdowns, with their first meeting worth $5,000.

Despite his success in the main event, Kleier was unable to convert aboard Roid Rage, bucked off before the whistle. Kleier and Roid Rage will meet for the second time on July 2 when the next PBR Bull Pit event is held in Bloomsbury. Their second showdown will be valued at an augmented $10,000.

Returning to the event leaderboard, young gun Qynn Andersen (Koumala, Queensland) was second, netting 17 national points.

Andersen’s efforts at the Bull Pit were headlined by his Round 1-winning, 85-point ride on Specsaver (Peter Wallace).

The 18-year-old sensation gained one position in the battle for the 2022 PBR Australia Championship, climbing from No. 4 to No. 3. He now trails No. 1 Heffernan by a slim 49 points.

Ben Moran (Yeppoon, Queensland) was third.

Moran delivered an 84-point ride aboard Knock Em Stiff (Colin Fry) in the opening round to earn 11 national points.

Rounding out the Top 5 and tying for fourth alongside Heffernan to earn 5 national points was seven-time PBR World Finals qualifier Lachlan Richardson (Gresford, New South Wales).

Richardson logged his matching 83-point score in Round 1 when he covered Seven Eleven (Peter Wallace).

Despite the finish, Richardson slid from No. 2 to No. 4 in the national standings but remained within 58 points of the No. 1 rank.

In the bull pen, Pretty Boy (Peter Wallace) was unrivaled. Bucking in the championship round, he delivered an event-best 45-point score when he bucked off Sam Woodall (Heywood, Victoria) in 2.85 seconds.

The 2022 PBR Australia season will continue Saturday, May 7 for the PBR at Big Country in Berry, New South Wales. Action for the Touring Pro Division event will get underway at 6:00 p.m. AEDT.

PBR Australia Touring Pro Division
PBR Bull Pit
Dittmann Bull Pit – Bloomsbury, Queensland
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Event Aggregate-National Points)
1. Aaron Kleier, 84.5-85-169.50-30 Points.
2. Qynn Andersen, 85-0-85.00-17 Points.
3. Ben Moran, 84-0-84.00-11 Points.
4. Lachlan Richardson, 83-0-83.00-5 Points.
(tie). Cody Heffernan, 83-0-83.00-5 Points.
6. Nathan Burtenshaw, 82.5-0-82.50-1.5 Points.
(tie). Jack Keats, 82.5-0-82.50-1.5 Points.
8. Jackson Gray, 82-0-82.00
9. Trefor Sproule, 81-0-81.00
10. Brumby Brandenburg, 75-0-75.00
Sam Woodall, 0-0-0.00
Jake Curr, 0-0-0.00
Michael Smith, 0-0-0.00
Braith Nock, 0-0-0.00
Will Purcell, 0-0-0.00
Lachlan Slade, 0-0-0.00
Caiden Sandilands, 0-0-0.00
Taran Chirgwin, 0-0-0.00
Wyatt Milgate, 0-0-0.00
Brody Woodard, 0-0-0.00
Ben Gard, 0-0-0.00
Joey Buckingham, 0-0-0.00
Bryn Francis, 0-0-0.00
Ben Reiter, 0-0-0.00