TOWNSVILLE CITY, QLD – Kurt Shephard achieved a lifelong dream on Saturday night, winning the 2025 PBR Australian National Championship in front of a sold-out crowd on Championship Saturday at the Townsville Entertainment Centre.

In his 12th year on tour, the Mareeba cowboy wrapped up his year with a 2-for-4 showing at the Grand Finals, maintaining his 50% riding percentage for the season. From 17 events in 2025, Shephard completed 23 rides, with 13 of those earning him round wins.

He secured five event wins and achieved six more top-five finishes, finishing the year more than 350 points ahead of his closest rival. The 31-year-old became the first rider in PBR Australia history to surpass $180,000 in season earnings.

Shephard adds his name to the list of PBR Australian National Champions.

Daniel Keeping delivered a perfect 4-for-4 performance to claim the 2025 PBR Australia Grand Finals event title after finishing fifth in this arena during his 2024 visit to Australia.

The Texan started his weekend on Friday with a stellar ride off the mark aboard Halliday Witch Way (Dittmann Bucking Bulls) for 86.50 points, sharing the opening-round win. He followed that up with a textbook 83.50-point performance aboard High Voltage (Kleier Bucking Bulls).

Keeping then took full advantage of his top ranking by covering both of his draft bulls on Saturday night. First, he covered Razor Sharp (CF7 Bucking Bulls) for the second time in his career, scoring 85.75 points to win Round 3, and then he tackled the previously unridden Nirvana in the Championship Round for 87.50 points, finishing with an overall total of 343.35 points.

Macaulie Leather, the 2023 PBR Australian National Champion, was also flawless over the weekend, scoring 338.35 points across his four rides.

The Calliope cowboy kicked off his account with two 85-point rides on the first night of the competition. He rode Checkmate (Morgy’s Cattle Company) in Round 1, and in the second round, he split the round win aboard Rock On (Dunne Bulls).

Leather then endured a late direction change from Nine Ball (TF Bucking Bulls) in Round 3 for 83 points and scored 85.25 points aboard Ariat Revolver (Dunne Bulls) in the short go. He has now ridden his last eight bulls under the bright lights in Townsville.

Brady Fielder was the best of the seven riders who finished the event with two scores on 172.50 points. He overcame a tough start to his weekend to record an 84.50-point ride into his hand aboard Roam Aviation Without Warning (Dunne Bulls) in Round 2.

The Clermont cowboy then became the third rider to cover Twist & Shout (Dunne Bulls) in the Championship Round. Both rider and bull showcased their talents, combining for a season-high score of 88 points, which was enough to share the round win. It was Fielder’s 100th qualified ride of the calendar year.

Calliope’s Ben Bode shared the short-go round win with Fielder. His electrifying 88-point score came aboard Moosey’s Moto Moto (MJ/Keliher Bucking Bulls/McGuire Partnership), matching every move the bull threw at him to snap the bull’s 16-out unbeaten streak. Earlier in the night, Bode covered Alcatraz (CF7 Bucking Bulls/Josh Pugh Partnership) into his hand for 84 points in Round 3. He finished the event in fourth on 172.00 points.

Rounding out the top five in Townsville was Jake Gardner. The Canadian title contender started strongly, splitting the Round 1 win with his 86.50-point trip aboard Rambo (Dittmann Bucking Bulls). He then scored a further 83.50 points in the third round, combining with the rider-friendly Da Bear (Lazy G Bucking Bulls/Pukallus Partnership) to bring his total to 169.75 points.

Also finishing with two qualified rides were Round 2 winner Andrew Alvidrez with 169.50 points, Zane Hall with 169.00 points, and Shephard and Charlie Bailey, who shared eighth place with 162.50 points each. Callum Miller rounded out the top 10 with his single 86.25-point ride.

Check out the Full Results from the 2025 PBR Australia Grand Finals.

Kurt Shephard finished the season with a total of 2,263.33 points, earning himself a $100,000 bonus as the 2025 PBR Australian National Championship.

The final margin back to Luan Crystian Camara was 352.83 points. The Brazilian had a fantastic debut season in Australia, securing four event wins, five top-five finishes, and earning the title of our Cowboy of Origin for his performances for New South Wales during the series.

Camara was named the 2025 PBR Australia Rookie of the Year, earning a $10,000 bonus, and he added another $20,000 from his runner-up position in the National Standings.

Willow Tree Cowboy Clint Glass finished third in the standings on 1247 points, Brazil’s Alison Aguiar was fourth on 1212 points, and Athol bull rider Zane Hall was fifth on 1193.33 points.

View the final 2025 PBR Australian National Standings.

Alpha Blokes Warden capped off his sensational season with a 44-point trip in the Championship Round to be crowned the 2025 PBR Australia Bucking Bull of the Year for the MJ Bucking Bulls and Keliher Bucking Bulls partnership.

The son of Margin Call finished the regular season with a best five-trip average of more than 44 points, with his top bull score coming at the Cairns Invitational when he was marked 44.25 points.

CF7 Bucking Bulls secured back-to-back Stock Contractor of the Year awards, winning the 2025 title for their efforts during the regular season. The cowboys earned more than $27,000 in prize money riding CF7 Bucking Bulls this season.

Dittmann Bucking Bulls uncovered another fantastic bull this season, winning the 2025 PBR Australia Classic Bull of the Year with Nirvana. The son of Forever Young finished second in the end-of-season standings with a top-five average of 43.85 points.

Next, the Cowboys head across the ditch to kick off the 2026 season with the second edition of the Tasman Cup in Feilding, New Zealand, on December 19-20, 2025. Find all the event details and information on how to secure your tickets on the PBR Australia website.

For the latest results, news and stats, stay tuned to PBRAustralia.com.au, follow the tour on Facebook (PBR Australia), Instagram (@PBRAustralia) and TikTok (@PBRAustralia) and subscribe to @ProBullRidersAust on YouTube for live events, replays and highlights.