RODEO: Ebenezer cowboy Mark Knox has won the rope and tie title in the Australian Professional Rodeo Association but not before a strong challenge from Warwick rider Mitch Eastwell and reigning champion Shane Kenny.

In a finals format where recording a time in each round is crucial, Eastwell and Knox each caught their four beasts.

Knox had a round win as well as a second, third and fourth to win the average and the title at The Carlton Dry Warwick Rodeo National Finals. Mt Wallace (Victoria) rider Jay R Marsh won round 1 and Kenny won round 3.

Eastwell was second in round 2 on Friday night with 11.65 seconds and won the final round today with a time of 11.3.

Interestingly, Eastwell was competing in an arena where his father Bevin Eastwell set an arena record of 8.95 seconds at a Warwick Rodeo in the 1980s.

Going into today's final round, Knox and reigning champion Shane Kenny were two of the favourites but Kenny missed his beast and with it his chance of back-to-back titles. Kenny had a first, second and third going into today's round 4.

In the ladies breakaway roping, a 39-year-old hay farmer from Tullakool was victorious.

Rebecca Van Houten won the average and title from 13th in the rankings and told the Warwick Rodeo crowd that not in her wildest dreams did she expect to win a title buckle.

In team roping, the title winners were Shane Iker from Alton Downs in Queensland and Aaron Bookluck from Nilma North in Victoria.