APRA boss back at Warwick Rodeo, where it all began
RODEO: Lee Kimber and Shane Kenny recall riding their horses from a home in Cleary St to the Warwick Rodeo when they were just thinking about being rodeo superstars.
That was the year Kimber was in Year 9 at Warwick State High School and living three doors from the Warwick Showgrounds.
Now the pair are in the top two positions after round 1 of the Warwick Rodeo Australian Championships on Thursday night.
Kimber is in town to compete in the Warwick Rodeo Australian Championships but also in his new role as executive chairman of the Australian Professional Rodeo Association.
"The executive looks after the finance and running of the association and the board looks after the competition and events," Kimber said.
"I like being an honest voice for the cowboys for the love of the sport."
There is a long Warwick connection to the role of executive chairman, with John Osborne in the role for many years and Russell Collins in more recent times before he retired from the role.
Kimber rode the horse Hooley to second in the rope and tie on Thursday night while his fiancee, Cherie O'Donoghue, rode the same horse to win the first round of the breakaway roping.
O'Donoghue said it had taken a while for her to click with Hooley.
"I won at Grong Grong (NSW) in my first rodeo on him and then at Marrabel more than a year later, which was earlier this month," she said.
"He is a smaller horse than I usually ride and we have had to learn our timing and to be a team."
O'Donoghue has won six all-around titles, the most by a cowgirl in the APRA.
She just missed finishing in the top 15 to make the championship round in the barrel race so will only compete in one 2015 event.
O'Donoghue has won two APRA breakaway roping titles.
There is a chance it could be a treble for her family with niece Shianne O'Donoghue-Kent leading the barrel racing standings going into the championships and finishing third on Thursday night.
"We can dream of Lee, Shianne and I all winning titles this year, Lee and I have been winners in the same year in the past," Cherie said.
