By Jeremy Sollars
EMERALD cowboy Shane Kenny is lining up once again at the Warwick Rodeo in 2016, after taking out the all around cowboy title last year along with big wins in the rope and tie, steer wrestling and team roping.
Shane has been in Warwick since last Friday getting ready for a big weekend of competition while staying with friends at Greymare.
While he didn’t qualify for the steer wrestling in 2016 due to his favoured ride for the event ‘Locket’ – his “valuable partner in crime” – sustaining an injury recently, he’s still pumped for the other events in the Warwick arena.
“I’ve had good preparation, I’ve been taking it a bit slower over the last few months, but I’m feeling fairly confident going into it,” Shane said.
“We’ve done Mount Isa and the team roping finals at Capella and did reasonably well there so it’s been a good lead-up.
“I’ve got my buckskin horse Jellybean who’s helped me win four rope and tie titles – a really seasoned competitor.”
Shane’s first crack at competition will be in the rope and tie on Thursday evening at the Showgrounds.
He has now won 35 titles in the Australian Professional Rodeo Association (APRA), including 15 all around and 13 in his best event, the rope and tie.
He won his first APRA title in the rope and tie in 1991 at the age of 17 and a year later won his first all around title.
See campdrafting photos from this week’s competition by TERRY WEST and pages 6 and 7; full rodeo and campdrafting weekend program on page 16.
