Key Facts:
PBR Caboolture Invitational
Saturday August 30 at QSEC
Gates Open at 4.30pm
Junior Academy 5.00pm
Main Event 7.00pm
PBR | Monster Energy Tour Caboolture Invitational
11-year-old Singleton bull rider Sonny Heffernan to make history in Brisbane with 50th ride
From Singleton to Stardom: this young cowboy has his eye firmly on an Australian record, and then …. flies to the USA!
At just 11 years old, Singleton's Sonny Heffernan is already a veteran of the bull riding arena. THIS Saturday in Caboolture, when the PBR Invitational junior mini bull chutes swing open, Sonny won't just be chasing another ride, he'll be making history. Vision and IMAGES HERE
It will mark his 50th PBR Junior Academy event, the first rider in Australia to ever reach that milestone.
Over these 50 events, Sonny hasn't just shown up, he's shone. From his 50 outs, he's covered 33 bulls, making the whistle more than two-thirds of the time, with 30 of those rides placing in the top five. These are stats that even world-class cowboys would envy.
The day after he rides, Sonny will swap mini bulls for boarding passes, flying out to the International Mini Bull Riding Association (IMBA) World Finals in Ogden, Utah (Sept 3–6). It won't be his first taste of the global stage: back in 2019, at just five years old, he represented Australia in Las Vegas and finished 11th.
Bull riding runs in the blood for Sonny. He's the nephew of PBR NSW Origin coach and two-time National Champion, Cody Heffernan, and already has his own list of career highlights: winning the 2024 Peewee Australian Title and, perhaps dearest to his heart, helping the mighty Blues break Queensland's Origin domination in 2025.
Simon Mallory, PBR Announcer said the PBR Can-Am Junior Academy, which kicked off in 2021, was a vital part of PBR Australia's rider development program. "It's dedicated to creating pathways for young bull riders to progress all the way to the national and international stage. Watching riders like Sonny shine in front of sold-out crowds at the PBR Origin Series has been incredible, and the entire PBR community can't wait to cheer him on in Caboolture for his 50th junior event and on the international stage," he said.
"With 60 juniors, some as young as eight, competing in Caboolture for a chance to reach the Junior Grand Finals in Tamworth this October, the future of the sport has never looked brighter. The success of the program, wouldn't be without the parents who give up their entire weekends to bring their kids from across the country to compete. It's truly an amazing thing to see."
Sonny Heffernan might be pint-sized, but his record and grit are anything but.
Catch him making history in Caboolture, before he takes on the world in Utah.
PBR Caboolture Invitational
Saturday August 30 at QSEC
Gates Open at 4.30pm
Junior Academy 5.00pm
Main Event 7.00pm
PBR | Monster Energy Tour Caboolture Invitational
