I won my first buckle in 1989, my first steer riding in 1991, I was Junior Steer Rider in the Golden Run circuit, and All Round Junior Champion at the Burketown Rodeo. In '92 I was Junior Barrel Racer and Breakaway Roper. 1992 was a big year.
 
"Saddle bronc riding's my favourite now, but I still do time events - I team rope and bulldog. I used to be interested in bullriding and I won the National Circuit Finals in 1999 in Tasmania. The top two from every circuit were invited over for it. They actually invited me for bronc riding, but there was no bullrider from my circuit, so I just did it.
 
"With saddle bronc riding the only practise we can get here in Hughenden is when you get some fellows that are keen to get on. We've got 14 over in the paddock now and no one can get on them because we've got no one picking up. So they stay in the paddock. I was mucking around one day and said to Dad, 'Where's a practise horse? I should get on a couple'. Anyway he said, 'They're there, look', because we had 22 of them up in Nanna's yard feeding them. Anyway, he took two of the best ones out and I rode both of them.
 
"You ride your best to try and win, but 90 percent of the time it's up to the horse. With a good horse you can win, but it depends on the day and the luck of the draw. At Saxby in 1999, the year I won my bronc ride, my first horse was bucking pretty good, and then bucked over the top of me. And then they ran another one up and it was just as good. It started jump kicking in a little circle at the end of it and I won that round. But I drew another horse in the final and came second. They're just scrub horses and they only do that rodeo once a year, so it's the luck of the draw.
 
"Mum panics a bit. She was down in Rockhampton when I bucked off and she said, 'I can't believe what you've just done'. Dad was at the back of the chutes putting his kickers away and he thought I'd ridden her. He asked me what I'd scored and I said, 'I got bucked off'. He just couldn't get over it. I was a bit dirty that I did get bucked off because I knew I could have won the last round. The judge told Dad that I would have had the highest mark".