Mareeba cowboy unleashes season-high 89.90-point ride to claim Mackay victory and tighten his grip on Australian No.1 ranking
The Mareeba cowboy conquered Last Post for a spectacular 89.90 points in the Championship Round of the PBR Australia Monster Energy Tour’s Mackay event, recording the highest-scoring ride of the 2026 Australian season and the second-highest score of his PBR career.
It was a statement performance from Shephard, who went two-for-three for a 176-point aggregate, claiming the Mackay crown and $7,300 in prizemoney.
With the 2026 PBR Australia Grand Finals in Townsville on November 13 and 14 fast approaching, the reigning champion has made one thing abundantly clear: he’s not giving up that Gold Buckle without a fight.
Shephard’s victory extends his lead in the national standings to 2,758 points, putting him 289 points ahead of Athol’s Zane Hall on 2,469, with Brazilian powerhouse Keny Roger de Oliveira third on 1,970 and with championship points still up for grabs, the race is far from over.
Oberon’s Charlie Bailey flew the flag for New South Wales, finishing runner-up in Mackay with a 166.50-point aggregate, while New Zealand’s Rylee Ward claimed third with 88.20 points. Ward’s performance also propelled him into fourth position in the national standings, adding another international dimension to the championship battle.
AN AMERICAN COWBOY MAKES HIS MARK
Friday night belonged to American newcomer Hayes Weight, from Utah, who claimed the opening night’s honours and pocketed a $5,000 bonus. Competing in just his second PBR Australia event after making his debut at Kilkivan the previous weekend, Weight has wasted no time making an impression on Australian dirt, and with the American hoping to make Australia his long-term home, subject to visa arrangements, local fans could be seeing plenty more of the Utah cowboy in seasons to come.
Meanwhile, the four-legged athletes were delivering their own extraordinary performances, with Dark Side, from Keliher Bucking Bulls, named Bull of the Weekend after posting an impressive 44.80-point bull score.
THE GOLD BUCKLE RACE: TWO STOPS TO GO
With the 2026 Australian Championship approaching its conclusion, the battle for the Gold Buckle is reaching boiling point.
Updated PBR Australia National Standings – Top Five
- Kurt Shephard – Mareeba, QLD | 2,758 points
- Zane Hall – Athol, QLD | 2,469 points
- Keny Roger de Oliveira – Brazil | 1,970 points
- Rylee Ward – Central Hawke’s Bay, NZ | 1,255.50 points
- Kelsey Pavlou – Victoria | 1,240.50 points
THE NEXT GENERATION SHINES IN MACKAY
The Can-Am Junior Academy also delivered outstanding performances across the wet Mackay weekend, with rising young riders from Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia taking home honours.
- Pee Wee: Bobby Berry (Gunnedah, NSW) – 63.40 points
- Junior: Nate Wilson (Calliope, QLD) – 69.00 points
- Senior: Hunter Ross (Boddington, WA) and Nash Goddard (Glendon Brook, NSW) – tied on 70.00 points
- Rising Stars: Ronan Miosge (Sarina, QLD) – 71.80 points
- Challenger Series winner: Kyle Sternbeck (Willow Tree), runner up Cody Sternbeck
For local fans, Sarina’s Ronan Miosge provided a particularly special moment, claiming the Rising Stars victory on home-region dirt.
UP NEXT
Saturday 24 October: PBR Monster Energy Tour: Tamworth Iron Cowboy Invitational
- Venue: Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre (AELEC), Tamworth, New South Wales
- Booking: PBR Tamworth Invitational Tickets
Friday 13 – Saturday 14 November: PBR Australia Grand Finals
- Venue: Townsville Entertainment & Convention Centre, Townsville, Queensland
- Booking: PBR Australia Grand Finals Tickets
ABOUT PBR AUSTRALIA
Professional Bull Riders (PBR) is one of the fastest-growing sports properties in the world, with tours across the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico. A subsidiary of TKO Group Holdings -which also owns UFC and WWE- has transformed bull riding into a premier international sport since its founding in 1992. The organisation features over 1,000 riders globally and hosts more than 200 events annually worldwide. In Australia, Professional Bull Riders Australia (PBRA) stages more than 20 events each year, attracting over 75,000 fans. PBRA showcases key events and tours such as the Monster Energy Tour, PBR Origin Series, and PBR Grand Finals, while also partnering with regional event organisers through the PBR Touring Pro Division. The organisation supports emerging talent through its Can-Am Junior Academy and serves as an international pathway to the United States circuit for both Junior and Open competition athletes.
