Mount Isa Mines Rodeo 2026 ranks with greatest ever seen

August 13, 2026

Spectacular arena action marked the 67th Mount Isa Mines Rodeo where an 18-year-old debutant claimed the biggest buckle

*Mount Isa Mines Rodeo played host to the top Aussie female bronc riders as they kicked up the dirt (left) is Dr Hayley Rose from northwest NSW and Brittany Honey from the NT – Image: peter wallis*

Red dust flew everywhere as records were smashed at the Mount Isa Mines Rodeo for 2026.

The records set in the arena where matched by a record crowd crush through the gates as it appeared just about everyone in the district was attending Buchanan Park for the biggest and most celebrated rodeo in the Southern Hemisphere.

And they witnessed an 18-year-old bull rider from Armidale NSW making a dream debut at the legendary event, Brodie Meredith claimed the Open Bull Ride title at his first-ever Isa competition.

Brodie entered the final in contention, with plenty of work to be done, before producing an 84.5-point ride when it mattered most, taking his aggregate to 171 and the coveted buckle.

*When the acrobats opened the Mount Isa Mines Rodeo on Friday they made it all look so easy but bucking broncos and bulls in the pens were at their fiercest and ready to put up a fight*

It was an all-NSW podium in rodeo’s most dangerous event, with Yarrawa’s Luke Parkinson second on 167.5 and Tamworth’s Clint Glass third on 166.5.

But overall, the championship winners came from right across the country.

Victoria’s Bailey O’Dell claimed the Open Saddle Bronc aboard Gill Brothers’ Little Darling, ahead of local favourites Cade Ferguson from Cloncurry and Clayton Braden from Mount Isa, while NSW riders Henry Watkins of Manilla and Jarrod McKane of Wodonga shared the Bareback Bronc title on 163.5.

*Top riders showed their skill and bought out the best in their horses to negotiate the tightest turns imaginable as the barrel races got into full steam ahead competition*

In the Barrel Race, Australia’s rodeo champion and matriarch Leanne Caban, from Emerald QLD and originally Julia Creek, took the title ahead of South Australia’s Candy Michaelis and Alton Downs rider Anna Hamilton.

Winner of the Overall Cowboy of Rodeo was Cloncurry’s Cade Ferguson and Cowgirl of Rodeo was Jane Ryan of Brigalow in Queensland.

*Sometimes the red dust wins the battle even after riders put everything they have into taking away the biggest prizes on offer at the mighty Mount Isa Mines Rodeo – Image: adam head*

Regional Queensland was stamped all over the winner’s list, with champions and placegetters travelling from communities including Emerald, Cloncurry, Townsville, Richmond, Rockhampton, Hughenden, Yeppoon, Gracemere, Ravenswood, Goondiwindi, Alton Downs, Stanwell, Taroom and Miriam Vale, with winning buckles being driven home across the country.

The Over 55s Team Roping alone brought together competitors from NSW, Victoria and regional Queensland, while the Junior Team Roping even featured New Zealand’s Victor Yates alongside Yeppoon’s Cruz Leahy.

*The stakes were high to get a very agitated and bulky bull settled down before rider and beast came flying out of the gates in the junior bull competition*

And if the junior results are anything to go by, the next generation is already coming hard. Tamworth’s Liam Birks won the Junior Bull Ride, Maidenhead’s Beaudie Neneadic won the Junior Steer Ride and also placed third in the Junior Bull Ride, while Emerald’s Jax Dickfos took the Junior Barrel Race ahead of Rockhampton’s Ruby Bell and Taroom’s Kodah Lovett.

Cloncurry youngsters dominated the Mini Bulls, with Ashley Murphy winning the 11–14 years division and Dallas Murphy taking the 8–10 year’s title — proof that in rodeo country, they start them young.

*Out the gate is when all skills come into play as riders begin trying to reign in a bucking bronco that knows too well it’s in a competition with a rider it wants to desperately get off its back*

And history was made in the arena with the first-ever Ladies Bronc Series, putting women back aboard bucking horses at Mount Isa and celebrating the fearless cowgirls who helped shape Australian rodeo.

Charli Simmond from Katherine in the Northern Territory became the inaugural champion with a 70-point ride, ahead of Clare Saxby from Stanthorpe NSW on 65 and Upper Horton’s Hayley Rose on 60.

The Ladies Bronc Series marks an important new chapter for Mount Isa Mines Rodeo, honouring the pioneering women of the sport while giving a new generation of bronc riders their own place in the legendary Isa arena.

*The crowd rode along with every competitor but all the will to win still couldn’t stop some of the most spectacular big spills ever seen*

The 67th Mount Isa Mines Rodeo presented by Akubra drew one of the largest and most geographically diverse fields in rodeo history, with almost 800 competitor contesting the richest prize purse in the event’s 67-year history.

This year’s field reflected the continued growth of the sport, with 200 female competition starts, 240 junior competition starts, and competitors travelling from every mainland state, Tasmania and New Zealand, and the debut of the inaugural Ladies Bronc Series, cementing Mount Isa’s reputation as our greatest celebration of rodeo.

*An 18-year-old bull rider from Armidale NSW Brodie Meredith made a dream debut at the Mount Isa Mines Rodeo to claim the Open Bull Ride title and biggest buckle at his first ever Isa competition*

Mount Isa Mines Rodeo 2026 results

Champion All round Cowboy Cade Ferguson from Cloncurry

Champion All round Cowgirl Jane Ryan from Brigalow

*Competing with best across the country it’s a great privilege to be named Champion All round Cowboy and Cowgirl Cade Ferguson from Cloncurry QLD left and Jane Ryan from Brigalow QLD right*

OPEN BULL RIDE
1st – Brodie Meredith – Armidale NSW – 171 (won with an 84.5 to take out the final)
2nd – Luke Parkinson – Yarrawa NSW – 167.5
3rd – Clint Glass – Tamworth NSW – 166.5

OPEN SADDLE BRONC
1st – Bailey O’Dell – Eddington VIC – 165 (won on Gill Brothers’ Little Darling with an 82)
2nd – Cade Ferguson – Cloncurry QLD – 160
3rd – Clayton Braden – Mount Isa North Queensland, QLD – 158.5

BAREBACK BRONC
1st– SPLIT WIN Henry Watkins from Manilla NSW & Jarrod McKane from Wodonga NSW – 163.5
2^nd – Brendan Crawley – Yass NSW – 160
3^rd – Cody Quilliam – Townsville QLD – 156

*Some riders were left with little choice when thrown from an impossible to conquer bucking bulls other than to eat the Mount Isa Mines Rodeo dust*

BARREL RACE
1st – Leanne Caban – Emerald, QLD (originally Julia Creek) – Average of 34.847
2nd – Candy Michaelis – Lewiston SA – 35.245
3rd – Anna Hamilton – Alton Downs QLD – 35.351

STEER WRESTING
1^st – Peter Davenport – KANYAPELLA Victoria – (11.4)
2^nd – Jesse Glass – Tamworth NSW – (11.95)
3^rd – Tyler Kenny – Emerald QLD – (12.05)

TEAM ROPING
1st – Georgie Kapeller / Tom Willoughby – 19.2
2nd – Jayden Kenny / Shane Kenny – 23.7
3rd – Lochlan Flanagan / Dallas Flanagan – 30.8

*They are over 55 but just how much they weren’t saying – collecting their championship buckles for the over 55’s team roping were (left) Roping Header Casey Tribe (9.95) and Heeler Glen Perkins*

ROPE & TIE
1st – Clay Bush – Yass NSW – 23.4
2nd – Jackson Dixson – Alton Downs QLD – 24.5
3rd – Tyler Kenny – Emerald QLD – 30.2

BREAKAWAY ROPING
1st – Kylie Hancock – Rosenthal Heights QLD – 8.45
2nd – Brook Pokarier – Stanwell QLD 9.65
3rd – Torah Hintz – Richmond QLD – 10.0

OVER 55s TEAM ROPING
1st – Casey Tribe from Hallsville NSW and Glen Perkins VIC – 9.95
2nd – Mark Gibb from Charters Towers QLD and Kendall Douglas from Cloncurry QLD – 10.1
3rd – Lamar Cox from Hughenden QLD and Clint Dolan from Black rover QLD – 13.0

*The record crowd were treated to a three-day spectacular and witnessed one of the greatest rodeos ever held with the best competitors across the country putting everything on the line*

Ladies Bronc Ride
1^st – Charli Simmonds – Katherine NT – 70
2^nd – Clare Saxby – Stanthorpe NSW – 65
3^rd – Hayley Rose – Upper Horton NSW – 60

2ND DIV BULL RIDE
1st – Hank Woodard – Gracemere QLD – 150.5
2nd – Beau Easton – Ravenswood QLD – 139.5
3rd – Dex Walker – Colosseum QLD – 80

2ND DIV SADDLE BRONC
1st – James Boulton – Penola South Australia – 143
2nd – Riley Flanagan – Goondiwindi, QLD – 129
3rd – Edward Maxwell – Pinkett NSW – 71

2ND DIV BAREBACK BRONC
1st – Cody Quilliam – Pimlico/Townsville, QLD – 143.5
2nd – Oscar Crawford –– 142
3rd – Isaac Leclair –135.5

*The Murphy brothers from Cloncurry QLD made a great run at the rodeo competing in the Mini Bulls with Ashley winning the 11 to 14 division and Dallas winning the 8 to 10 division*

JUNIOR BULL RIDE
1st – Liam Birks – Tamworth, NSW – 162
2nd – Rex Walker – Miriam Vale QLD – 155
3rd – Beaudie Neneadic – Maidenhead QLD – 142

JUNIOR STEER RIDE
1st – Beaudie Neneadic – Maidenhead QLD – 74.5
2nd – Bronzon Mara-Skeltlern – 71
3rd – Wyatt Gill – Upper Horton NSW – 69

JUNIOR BREAKAWAY ROPING
1st – Dekoda Caban – Moree NSW – 9.05
2nd – Riley Kohler – Richmond QLD – 11.8
3rd – Wyatt Gill – Upper Horton NSW – 16.3

JUNIOR TEAM ROPING
1st – Header: Victor Yates – NZ- 23.45 / Heeler: Cruz Leahy – Yeppoon QLD – 25.6
2nd – Header: Ruby Bell – Rockhampton QLD – 24.2 / Heeler: Olivia Foxlee – Thornton QLD – 33.2
3rd – Header: Torah Hintz – Richmond QLD – 38.05 / Heeler: Beau Middleton – Hughenden – 8.95 (1 head)