RODEO: Alton Downs rider Shane Iker will be back at the Warwick Showgrounds on Thursday chasing back to back wins in the battle for the all around title in the Australian Professional Rodeo Association.

While there will be campdrafting each day at the Warwick Rodeo this week, the first of the action in the Warwick Rodeo APRA National Finals will start at 6pm Thursday with the grand entry.

Rounds 1-3 are from 6pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday and the final round on Sunday from 2pm.

Iker has some ground to make up this week at the Warwick Showgrounds as he goes into the national finals in seventh place in the all around standings, but has form on the board after combining with Gracemere rider Brenton Bell to win the team roping at this year's Mt Isa Rodeo.

He has qualified for two events, rope and tie and team roping, so will be up against some riders who will compete in three events.

Some of his toughest opposition for the all around will come from Campbell Hodson, of Emerald, who leads the standings in Iker's two events and is second in the all around.

Hodson is originally from Townsville and combined with Liam Davison, of Charters Towers, to finish third in the team roping aggregate at the Mt Isa Rodeo in August.

Fellow Emerald rider Shane Kenny is second in the standings in rope and tie, team roping and steer wrestling and leads the all around so will be the favourite.

Kenny has 35 titles to his credit in the APRA but in events with three variables, rider, horse and beast, anything can happen.

Some outstanding riders from interstate have qualified in three events with Clay Bush from Yass in New South Wales going into the national finals third in the APRA all around standings.

Bush won the aggregate in the rope and tie at this year's Mt Isa Rodeo ahead of Hodson.

Heath Nichols (Scone, NSW), Lee Kimber (Lockington, Vic) and Terry Evison (Pine Grove, Vic) are each in three events at the national finals so have a realistic chance to win the all around title.

The barrel racing title is wide open with Jo Caldwell (Murrurundi, NSW), Jaimi Downing (Emerald, Qld) and Shianne O'Donoghue-Kent (Bunyip, Vic) the three leaders going into the nationals finals.

O'Donoghue-Kent won the all around and barrel racing titles last year and will be hard to beat this year.

She is ranked sixth in breakaway roping, an event where she will have to beat her aunt Cherie O'Donoghue (Lockington, Vic) to win the title.

O'Donoghue has won six all around cowgirl titles and three breakaway roping titles. She has qualified 15th for the national finals in the barrel race but will go into round one second in all around standings.

Emerald junior Ellysa Kenny goes into the finals fifth in the all around, sixth in the barrel race and seventh in breakaway roping so could challenge for titles this week.

As well as the national finals, there are second division and junior rodeo events at the Warwick Rodeo from Friday night.