Shut the Chutes – LACHLAN RICHARDSON returns to lead BLUES in the 2026 PBR Australia Monster Energy Origin Series
Can NSW build on their first ever Origin win, or will Queensland take back this historic bull riding title?
In 2025, PBR Australia's Monster Energy Origin Series decider in Sydney delivered a heart-stopping, history-making showdown, as NSW's fiercest bull riders proved they were no longer the underdogs, taking the win with 500.25 points (6 qualified rides) over Queensland's 419.50 (5 qualified rides). It was the bull-riding Blues first ever Origin Series win, and returning 2026 NSW Coach Lachlan Richardson Borghero is determined it'll be first of many.
While the two coaches behind the teams in 2026 remain the same, their passion has been ignited and each has a very specific aim – Queensland's is to retake the title and maintain superiority, NSW's is to make it an historic two-from-two.
Leading Queensland's maroon-clad warriors into the arenas in Newcastle, Brisbane and Sydney will be bull rider-turned one of the toughest Protection Athletes in the game Jared Borghero for Queensland, and for NSW, it's seven-time PBR World Finals qualifier and one of the sport's most respected competitors in Gresford-born Lachlan Richardson.
Origin 2026 begins in Newcastle on May 30, before heading to Brisbane on June 6, and culminating in Sydney at the TikTok Entertainment Centre on August 1. Tickets are on sale now.
"The fiercest rivalry in Australian sport isn't just played out on the footy field; it rages in the bull riding arena too. Welcome to the PBR Monster Energy Origin Series, where the boys go head-to-head in the toughest test of skill, strength, and sheer grit: professional bull riding. With nothing but eight seconds standing between glory and the dust, these boys ride for more than just personal victory, they ride for state pride, and these two coaches bleed maroon and blue respectively. It's going to be a hectic three event series!" said PBR Australia Managing Director Glen Young.
Each Origin Event will have $50,000 in prizemoney, making it $150k over the Series. In addition to this the Cowboy of Origin (the rider with the highest aggregate over 3 events) will also receive a $30,000 bonus.
ABOUT NSW COACH LACHIE RICHARDSON
From the rolling hills of Gresford, NSW, to the world's biggest bull riding stages, Lachlan Richardson has built a career defined by toughness and an unbreakable will to succeed. A seven-time PBR World Finals qualifier, the 2012 PBR Australia Rookie of the Year, and one of the sport's most respected competitors, now, he is comfortable leading the Blues into the fiercest battle of them all: PBR Origin Series.
"It's an honour to coach Team NSW. Origin was always my favourite time of year, and now it's no different—except now I get to put my full focus on the team. We don't talk. We ride and we rest at the end, not in the middle."
ABOUT QUEENSLAND COACH JARED BORGHERO
Bull riding runs four generations deep in the Borghero family. At 15, he rode his first bull, by 2016-17, he was at the top of his game, winning the legendary Mount Isa Rodeo bull ride, securing the APRA Pro Tour title, and earning Protection Athlete of the Year. In 2015 he found his true calling, becoming a PBR Protection Athlete. Standing between a fallen rider and a raging bull takes a special kind of courage, and Borghero has proven time and again why he's one of the best in the business. With 13 Protection Athlete titles, he's built a legacy of fearlessness and instinct. Both of Jared's brothers Ky and Jay, ride in the PBR and he's hoping when team selection comes around, they'll be chosen to wear the maroon under his coaching.
"It's an absolute honour and privilege to be named coach of QLD again for this series. Still to this day, it is one of the proudest achievements in my life, I live for Origin. I'm very excited to watch this champion team represent their state proudly and bring the heat that Queensland is known for. It's going to be an exciting series," he said.
PBR Monster Energy Origin Series – THE SCOREBOARD SO FAR!
- 2019: Queensland
- 2020: Covid year
- 2021: Queensland
- 2022: Queensland
- 2023: Queensland
- 2024: Queensland
- 2025: News South Wales
2026 PBR Monster Energy Origin Series
Experience meets passion. Toughness meets tactics. And when the dust settles, only one team will have the bragging rights. This isn't just bull riding. This is Origin—PBR style. Who will rise? Who will fall? And when the dust settles, which state will stand tallest? Let's ride!!
PBR Australia Presents: PBR Monster Energy Origin I - NEWCASTLE
May 30 at 7:00 PM at Newcastle Entertainment Centre
PBR Monster Energy Origin I tickets | Newcastle Entertainment Centre | Ticketek Australia
PBR Australia Presents: PBR Monster Energy Origin II – BRISBANE
June 6 at 7:00 PM at Brisbane Entertainment Centre
PBR Monster Energy Origin II tickets | Brisbane Entertainment Centre | Ticketek Australia
PBR Australia Presents: PBR Monster Energy Origin II – SYDNEY
August 1 at 7:00 PM at Tiktok Entertainment Centre, Sydney
PBR Monster Energy Origin III tickets | TikTok Entertainment Centre | Ticketek Australia
WHERE AND WHEN TO SEE AUSTRALIA'S BEST BULL RIDERS IN 2026
All event detail can be found here: Schedule — The Professional Bull Riders
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.
