On the opening night of the Grand Finals, the cowboys rode just eleven bulls, a lower conversion rate than we expected, with a handful of cowboys failing to take advantage of their favourable draws.

Round 3 was a draft round, and many of the top bulls from Friday night are back for another trip. Riders who paid attention to the bulls last night could have an edge and a good shot at finishing the season strongly.

Only the top ten riders on the event aggregate leaderboard will advance to the Championship Round, so expect cowboys to leave it all in the arena tonight.

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Let’s take a look at the matchups for the top riders in the event standings and the 2026 PBR Australian National Championship race.

View the full daysheet for the third round of competition

Round 3 Matchups

Pick 1 – Mason Taylor on TK302 (Kleier Bucking Bulls)

The Texan was among those who took notice last night, and he made a great pick, selecting TK302. Taylor said this bull reminded him of many back home, so he should go into this matchup confident. This bull is unridden through seven trips in PBR Australia competition, but he has mostly faced left-handed riders. I think he will be a much better fit for a right-handed rider such as Taylor. Look for the bull to turn back to the right and into his hand, with plenty of pace to his rotation.

Pick 2 – Macaulie Leather on 22 White Nite (K3F – Farley Bucking Bulls/Caban)

Leather extended his riding record at the Townsville Entertainment Centre to 9-from-10 over his last three visits, and he should take that to double figures here. White Nite has been ridden once in his nine trips on tour. Colby Edgar was the successful rider, scoring 84 points for a round win at Scone in February. The bull has since bucked off eight straight riders. He will turn back left into the Calliope champion’s hand, with scores expected in the 86-point range.

Pick 3 – Caiden Sandilands on 906 Perfect Storm (MC Bucking Bulls/Koorooma Cattle Co)

Sandilands showed plenty of confidence when his name was called, taking on the task of snapping Perfect Storm’s 28-out unbeaten streak. The Rockhampton bull rider has slayed a few dragons this year, and he looks very confident on bulls that turn back into his hand. This bull has a few tricks in his repertoire, and we are never quite sure what he will produce in terms of tempo and action. He will turn left, which gives Sandilands a good chance at posting some very good numbers.

Pick 4 – Sam Woodall on 129 Or What (TF Bucking Bulls/4H Helicopters)

Or What is a bull that the riders have definitely figured out. They have posted scores averaging almost 86 points in five of the bull’s last six trips. Woodall is battling through injury, but he looked sharp covering his Round 1 bull last night and showed plenty of grit in his Round 2 buck off. This bull typically turns back to the right and winds his way across the arena. They will do battle into Heywood’s talent’s riding hand. 

Pick 5 – Ben Bode on 818 Cover Up (CF7 Bucking Bulls)

A great, confident pick from Bode. These two have battled twice in PBR Australia competition, with the series even at 1-all. The bull won at St Gregs Touring Pro, but the Calliope cowboy bounced back with 84.50 points at Burnett Heads. Macaulie Leather won the second round on this bull last night with an 87.40 score. If Bode stays in good shape, he should post a similar score, as the bull is expected to initially turn back to the left and into his hand.

Pick 10 – Zane Hall on 218 Mr Colourful (CF7 Bucking Bulls)

Hall gained ground in the race for the Gold Buckle last night and has set himself up for a strong finish in this round with a good pick. Mr Colourful got the better of Rylee Ward late in their matchup. He prefers to fake to the left and turn back to the right, but the Athol bull rider has been riding well away from his hand over the last few months. The bull has also turned left on the odd occasion, which would only increase the chances of Hall picking up a second score.

Pick 20 – Kurt Shephard on 86 Manshake (TF Bucking Bulls/L&R Finch)

Shephard bucked off both of his bulls last night, but despite having a late pick in the draft, I think he made a good choice here. This is a two-time rematch from the 2025 season. The Mareeba cowboy won a round at Beaudesert with 86.50 points, but he bucked off Manshake in quick time at Mackay a few months later. Manshake likes to fake left and turn back to the right, so Shephard will need to get it done away from his hand. The outcome of this matchup will likely decide whether he or Hall walks away with the 2026 PBR Australian National Championship buckle.

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