General News
6 August, 2024
Leading cowboy wants to put a gap on rivals at Buchanan Park
Campbell Hodson will compete in three events at the Mount Isa Mines Rodeo.
Campbell Hodson loves it in the North West and hopes his golden run continues in Mount Isa this weekend so he can extend his lead in the Australian Professional Rodeo Association rankings.
A four-time APRA all-round champion cowboy, Hodson is still well behind rodeo legend Shane Kenny, who has a massive 15 all-round titles to his name, but the Charters Towers resident still has time on his side at just 27 years of age.
Hodson was already on top of the APRA rankings before hitting the Flinders Highway a fortnight ago, but added more points at Richmond when he won the rope and tie and team roping events (teamed up with Brendan Kenny), while he also notched a third in the steer wrestling.
At Cloncurry on the weekend, Hodson recorded the only sub-ten second time in the rope and tie, claiming the win with a 9.95, beating Shane Iker (11.60).
Still, he’s hoping more success is on the cards at Buchanan Park, where he has enjoyed plenty of good times.
Hodson is a multiple all-round champion cowboy at the Mount Isa Mines Rodeo, with wins in both roping events, although he has yet to claim a steer wrestling buckle.
He came close in 2019, running second to Stockton Graves.
“(Steer wrestling) is just an extra event for me. It would be great to get a win at Mount Isa but my main focus is on the other events,” Hodson said
“The laneway at Mount Isa is really unique and you can’t get a thing wrong.
“I think you’d be going faster on your horse in Mount Isa than any other steer wrestling event around Australia.”
While the money is a bonus, Hodson said he wasn’t caught up by the riches on offer.
“I think you do it because you enjoy it and if you start thinking about the money you lose focus and it can cost you,” he said.
“I think it’s about challenging yourself and doing the best you can.”
Hodson will compete in three events this weekend, the rope and tie, steer wrestling and the team roping, where he will again partner with Brendan Kenny, who has heeler duties.
Cheering him on will be his partner Tylen Gibb, also a former Mount Isa buckle winner.
Gibb won the 2022 barrel race aboard Traditional Ramses, but will this year compete with a new horse, owned by Shane Kenny.