Key Facts:
Ride highlights
VNR Highlights - FRIDAY
VNR Highlights - SATURDAY
Kurt Shephard - Series Champion INTERVIEW
Kurt Shephard - Series Champion ** PORTRAIT INTERVIEW
Zane Hall - Series Runner-up INTERVIEW
Jason Dittmann - Bucking Bull of Year INTERVIEW
Macaulie Leather - Event Winner INTERVIEW
Kurt Shephard - Pre-Event INTERVIEW
STILL IMAGES
PBR AUSTRALIA GRAND FINALS DELIVERS IN QUEENSLAND:
SHEPHARD STRIKES GOLD, LEATHER LIGHTS UP THE ARENA AND NIRVANA RULES THE BULLS
Back-to-back Gold Buckles for Mareeba's Kurt Shephard, as Queensland reigns supreme at the 2026 PBR Australia Grand Finals
A new chapter in Australian bull riding history has been written in Townsville.
Mareeba cowboy Kurt Shephard has cemented his place among the greats of Australian bull riding, claiming back-to-back Australian Championship Gold Buckles and taking his 2026 season earnings to an extraordinary $213,962.41, following an edge-of-the-seat championship battle with fellow Queenslander Zane Hall from Athol at the PBR Australia Grand Finals in Townsville overnight.
Not only back to back season wins, Shephard has just become the first rider in PBR Australia history to surpass $210K in season earnings.
In a spectacular weekend for Queensland, Calliope's Macaulie Leather returned from the elite American bull riding circuit in smoking-hot form to win the Grand Finals event, while Stetson Nirvana, from Dittmann Bucking Bulls, claimed the coveted double of Australian Bucking Bull of the Year and Bull of the Grand Finals.
In one of the most electrifying moments of the weekend, American cowboy Hayes Weight delivered the highest-scoring ride of the entire 2026 Australian season, conquering the formidable Alpha Blokes Warden for 90.05 points.
Brazilian cowboy Keny Roger de Oliveira, from Pereira Barreto in São Paulo, capped an outstanding debut season on the Australian circuit, finishing third in the national championship standings and topping the 2026 Rookie standings for a $10,000 bonus. His performances throughout the season has firmly established him as one of the most exciting international talents competing on Australian dirt, adding another dimension to a sport that continues to attract elite competitors from across the globe.
Across two capacity nights at the Townsville Entertainment & Convention Centre, the PBR Australia Grand Finals delivered everything: world-class bull riding, international stars, magnificent bucking bulls, extraordinary entertainment and championship drama that kept thousands of fans holding their breath.
SHEPHARD GOES BACK-TO-BACK
It was never going to be easy for 2025 Gold Buckle holder Kurt Shephard, and fellow Queenslander Zane Hall made absolutely certain of that. Hall refused to let up in his pursuit of his first Australian Gold Buckle, piling the pressure on the reigning Australian Champion with an 84.65-point ride aboard Pandemic and an 86.05-point performance on Mr Colourful.
The championship drama intensified as Hall advanced to the Championship Round, where he faced the formidable Last Post. Six seconds into the ride, Hall hit the dirt, and the dream of a maiden Australian Championship was over for 2026. For Shephard, it was Gold Buckle glory once again.
In his famous calm style, Shephard said he was forever grateful for the win. "I'm grateful for my support system at home and at work, for Zane in pushing me all season, and the PBR Australia for making sure bull riding in Australia is absolutely world class," he said.
THE LEATHER LEGACY: FROM AMERICA TO AUSTRALIAN GLORY
He's been taking on some of the world's toughest bucking bulls in the United States, delivering spectacular 90-point rides and making international headlines, but for Calliope's Macaulie Leather, there's nothing quite like winning on home soil.
The 2023 Australian Champion, who now rides for the Missouri Thunder in the elite PBR Teams league in the United States, returned to Queensland in sensational form, winning the 2026 PBR Australia Grand Finals with a three-from-four performance, a 263.15-point aggregate and $48,500 in event earnings.
It was a masterclass from the Central Queensland cowboy, whose international experience and extraordinary form have made him one of Australia's most exciting sporting exports.
Leather said there was nothing anywhere in the world like riding at Townsville. "The atmosphere is insane in Townsville, it sends shivers down your spine, there's no feeling like riding here in North Queensland."
New Zealand's Rylee Ward, from Central Hawke's Bay, pushed Leather all the way, finishing second with a 261.70-point aggregate, just 1.45 points behind the Australian, and collecting $30,650 in event earnings.
THE WEIGHT OF EXPECTATION: AMERICAN COWBOY DELIVERS THE RIDE OF THE YEAR
American cowboy Hayes Weight, from Utah, went head-to-head with one of Australia's most formidable bucking bulls, Alpha Blokes Warden, from MJ/Keliher Bucking Bulls, in the Championship Round, delivering an extraordinary 90.05-point ride that brought the Townsville crowd to its feet.
It was highest-scoring ride of the entire 2026 PBR Australia season and a spectacular finale to Weight's Australian campaign, which has seen him make an immediate impression on the local circuit, with victory on the opening night in Mackay and an equal second placing in Tamworth.
ABSOLUTE NIRVANA: DITTMANN BUCKING BULLS CLAIM THE DOUBLE
One of the biggest stars of the weekend weighed considerably more than any of the riders, had four legs and was in no mood to give anyone an easy eight seconds. Stetson Nirvana, from Dittmann Bucking Bulls, took out both the 2026 PBR Australia Bucking Bull of the Year and Bull of the Grand Finals titles, an extraordinary double for the magnificent bovine athlete and his Queensland stock contractors.
The powerhouse bucking bull was in formidable form across the weekend, dispatching eventual Australian Champion Kurt Shephard in 4.73 seconds in the opening round to register a bull score of 44.00 points. He returned in the Championship Round to take on American star Mason Taylor, sending the Texan to the dirt in just 2.2 seconds and earning a spectacular 44.45-point bull score.
Beyond the extraordinary sporting performances, the 2026 PBR Australia Grand Finals delivered a world-class entertainment spectacular across two capacity nights in Townsville. Australian country music star Lane Pittman brought his powerhouse vocals and country swagger to the arena, while internationally acclaimed American rodeo entertainer Matt Merritt, the 2025 PRCA Clown of the Year, delivered his trademark comedy, outrageous antics and unscripted entertainment.
The event has delivered another important win for Townsville's visitor economy, bringing bring competitors, families, support crews, event personnel and spectators to Townsville, generating demand for accommodation, hospitality, transport, retail and local tourism experiences to the tune of more than $4.5 million in economic impact (2025 value).
- 2026 Australian Champion: Kurt Shephard - Mareeba, QLD
- 2026 Australian Championship Runner-Up: Zane Hall - Athol, QLD
- 2026 Australian Champion Season Earnings: $213,962.41 - Kurt Shephard
- 2026 Grand Finals Champion: Macaulie Leather - Calliope, QLD
- 2026 Grand Finals Runner-Up: Rylee Ward - Central Hawke's Bay, NZ
- Highest-Scoring Ride of the Grand Finals and 2026 Australian Season: Hayes Weight (Utah, USA) - 90.05 points aboard Alpha Blokes Warden (MJ/Keliher Bucking Bulls)
- 2026 Australian Bucking Bull of the Year: Stetson Nirvana - Dittmann Bucking Bulls
- 2026 Bull of the Grand Finals: Stetson Nirvana - Dittmann Bucking Bulls
NEW AUSTRALIAN STANDINGS
- Ride highlights
- VNR Highlights - FRIDAY
- VNR Highlights - SATURDAY
- Kurt Shephard - Series Champion INTERVIEW
- Kurt Shephard - Series Champion ** PORTRAIT INTERVIEW
- Zane Hall - Series Runner-up INTERVIEW
- Jason Dittmann - Bucking Bull of Year INTERVIEW
- Macaulie Leather - Event Winner INTERVIEW
- Kurt Shephard - Pre-Event INTERVIEW
- STILL IMAGES
ABOUT PBR AUSTRALIA
Professional Bull Riders (PBR) is one of the fastest-growing sports properties in the world, with tours across the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico. A subsidiary of TKO Group Holdings -which also owns UFC and WWE- has transformed bull riding into a premier international sport since its founding in 1992. The organisation features over 1,000 riders globally and hosts more than 200 events annually worldwide. In Australia, Professional Bull Riders Australia (PBRA) stages more than 20 events each year, attracting over 75,000 fans. PBRA showcases key events and tours such as the Monster Energy Tour, PBR Origin Series, and PBR Grand Finals, while also partnering with regional event organisers through the PBR Touring Pro Division. The organisation supports emerging talent through its Can-Am Junior Academy and serves as an international pathway to the United States circuit for both Junior and Open competition athletes.
