Top cowboy eyes more golden glory

JUST days after claiming his maiden All Round Champion Cowboy title, Tom Durbidge has set his sights on bringing more gold buckles back to Rosewood.

A fifth in the bareback and a second in the steer wrestling in Saturday night’s season- ending National Finals Rodeo at Caboolture was enough for the 27-year-old to clinch the National Rodeo Association’s premier prize.

“I’m speechless,” Durbidge said yesterday.

“Even now a few days on it’s still just starting to sink in that I’ve come home with three buckles and two saddles.

“I’ve been working my whole life on winning the title.

“It’s like the Broncos winning the (NRL) premiership.”

Durbidge was pushed all the way in the title race by Scott Peters who threw down the gauntlet with an impressive time of 6.8 seconds in the steer wrestling.

Knowing Peters would be crowned champion unless he bettered the Laidley competitor’s mark, Durbidge stopped the clock in a lightning quick 4.535s to seal the result.

“There was a lot of pressure knowing I needed a quick time to win the title,” Durbidge said. “I was trying not to think about it but it’s always in the back of your mind.”

Also in the back of his mind was the fact on two separate occasions doctors have advised Durbidge to give the sport away due to injury.

First, in 2005, it was a broken pelvis at the Mt Isa rodeo.

A year later at the same venue, Durbidge was kicked in the head by a horse, fracturing his skull.

Durbidge will take some time off over Christmas before returning to the rodeo scene on January 27 in Lawrence.

“I’ll give it another run next year,” he said.

“I’m 27, probably like to give it away by the time I’m 32 or 33. I’ve got a taste for the gold buckles and saddles now, so I’m hungry for more.

“I’ve got four or five good years left in me.

“But if it’s time to hang them up, then it’s time.”

Having already wrapped up his fifth national title in the rope and tie discipline at the previous week’s Ipswich rodeo, Marburg’s Mick Duffy continued his consistent run with a third place at Caboolture.

Ipswich’s Dale Roberts had less luck in the open bull ride, getting bucked off and failing to register a score.