Scone will host a stacked field of talent this weekend as Professional Bull Riding Australia opens its 2026 Monster Energy Tour with a record number of riders. Thirty‑five competitors from across the country and overseas will compete in Saturday night’s Scone Invitational, kicking off the road to this year’s Grand Finals in Townsville.
The line‑up includes the 2025 Gold Buckle winner, Queensland’s Kurt Shephard, who returns to defend his title. Fellow Queensland riders Ben Bode, Boston Leather, Caiden Sandilands, Donnie Rutherford, Zane Hall and Thomas Triplett will also feature.
New South Wales is well represented with riders including Willow Tree’s Clint Glass, Oberon’s Charlie Bailey, Dungog’s Thomas Hudson, Tamworth’s Lachlan Slade and Walcha’s Tyson Smith. Hudson enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2025, claiming his first PBR event win at the Nowra Invitational and qualifying for the national finals. New Zealander Rylee Ward and Victorian‑born Kelsey Pavlou also return after strong seasons.
The Scone event will also launch the PBR Australia Can‑Am Junior Academy, showcasing the next generation of riders. Champions from 2025, including Gunnedah’s Chase Berry, Glendon Brook’s Nash Goddard, Gympie’s Chase Wieland and Tamworth’s Liam Birks, will compete across the junior divisions. Singleton’s Sonny Heffernan and Bundarra‑Armidale rider Kassedy Carlon are also set to take part.
A standout junior is 17‑year‑old Bailey Searle from Willow Tree, who recently secured six buckles at the ABCRA Finals across multiple disciplines. PBR Australia General Manager Glen Young said the 2026 season would begin at full pace, with only nine events available for riders to qualify for the popular Origin series.
“There’s only nine opportunities between now and Origin to qualify for the hotly contested Origin series, so it’s game on from the very first buck in Scone,” he said.
Townsville, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and regional centres across Australia form part of this year’s national tour, with Scone the first stop on a busy calendar.
