National bronc title for Hawke's Bay rider at rodeo

Corey Church, of Rotorua, in the rope and tie at Wairoa, on his way to becoming overall national champion rodeo cowboy for 2016-2017. Photo / Warren Buckland

Hawke's Bay has a new national rodeo champion after the final rounds of a saddle bronc series that was up-and-down in more ways than one in Wairoa on Friday and Saturday.

Graeme Gannon, of Tutira, went into the three-round last stage of the saddle bronc competition with a narrow lead, which he lost in the opening round on Friday.

But he picked up the crucial placings in the second and third rounds on Saturday to snatch the lead back and beat Rotorua rider Corey Church, who still managed to claim the belt of overall champion.

Church, who was national overall champion for the first time in 2009, was one of three members of New Zealand rodeo's first family to add to the honours over the years, with Aaron Church claiming the rope and tie title, and Merv Church jnr excelling in the bull ride.

Aaron and Merv Church were also the top competitors in their categories over two days at the Wairoa Showgrounds, where the prizemoney was added to that earned during the rest of the season to decide the national champions. South Canterbury-based Australian John Hughes sealed a national bareback title by winning the series in Wairoa.

Winners at Wairoa on Friday and Saturday were:

Bareback, John Hughes; rope and tie, Aaron Church jnr; saddle bronc, Tim Costello; barrel race, Courtney Fox; steer wrestling, Rex Church; team ropng header, Anthony Perkins; team roping heeler, Bert Elstob; bull ride, Merv Church, jnr.

The New Zealand Rodeo Cowboys Association champions for 2016-2017 are:

Bareback, John Hughes; rope and tie, Aaron Church jnr; saddle bronc, Graeme Gannon, Tutira; barrel race, Rhondine Long; steer wrestling, Bradley Lanigan; team roping header, Mark Stewart; team roping heeler, Andrew Jamison; bull ride, Merv Church jnr; All-Round Champion, Corey Church.