RODEO: Warwick brothers Mitch and Brock Eastwell were the first two to compete in the rope and tie on Thursday night but it didn't matter - they led early and maintained the lead to come first and second in round 1.

Brock, 15th ranked going into the finals, proved rankings meant nothing with a first-round time of 11.1seconds on his mount Del Rio to gain the early lead.

Mitch, who was next into the arena on LJ, took the lead with 10.9s but a field of 15 with many past winners couldn't better the times of the Warwick brothers so they walked away with the most prizemoney in rope and tie for round 1. Scone rider Heath Nichols was third.

Even after a second placing, Brock wasn't jumping out of his skin about being first out.

"I'd rather rope late in the competition so I can see how the cattle run,” he said.

Mitch said he heard a few of the boys cheering him on.

"It was good to travel 3km to the rodeo rather than the 1700 odd kilometres we travelled this year to Mt Isa,” he said.

Thursday was a work day for the pair, Mitch is a carpenter and Brock a plumber. Mitch said they practised rope and tie most afternoons.

"You never stop learning,” he said.

"There is always someone working to beat you so you have to work harder.

"We feed off the competition.”

Round 2 is Friday night with round 3 from 6pm Saturday and round 4 from 2pm Sunday for all eight APRA championship events.

Second division and junior rodeo events will be held Saturday and Sunday at the Warwick Rodeo.