Heffernan is the Last Cowboy Standing in Brisbane

BRISBANE, Australia – After three rounds of knock-out style competition, Cody Heffernan was crowned the Last Cowboy Standing at the PBR Australia Cup Series event at Brisbane Entertainment Centre.

PBR Australia invaded Brisbane on Saturday night with a unique style of competition, featuring Australia’s most accomplished bull riders, as well as select internationals from Brazil and the USA.

Unlike traditional events, this particular competition featured 28 riders. The riders are not only matched against random bulls, but also against another rider. The cowboy with the highest score or ride time in each matchup proceeds through to the next round.

Heffernan fought his way through three rounds of the tough competition to be the Last Cowboy Standing. The No. 1 rider in the PBR Australia standings won his first matchup against wild card entrant Cliff Richardson with an 83.75-point ride. Heffernan then defeated Mick Ford, who is due to retire after next weekend’s Australian National Finals, by lasting 3.87 seconds on his bull. Ford was previously bucked off in 3.43 seconds.

Heffernan, along with six other cowboys – Cristiano Cunha, Mitchel Paton, Justin Paton, Troy Wilkinson, Bradie Gray and Ben Gooding all progressed through to the championship round with a clean slate. Each rider then drafted a bull randomly out of a hat. The rules in this round were simple, post the highest score and walk away with all or part of the $20,000 prize money.

Heffernan started Round 3 with the highest-marked ride of the night with 89.25 points on Hillbilly Deluxe. Cunha, Mitchel Paton, Gray, Wilkinson and Gooding all were bucked by their bulls, respectively, and Justin Paton would be the only other score in the round with 86.25 points on Rock the House.

With only two qualified rides in the championship round, the $20,000 prize money was paid out to Heffernan and Paton only.

PBR General Manager Glen Young said Heffernan pulled out all stops to win the event.

“He stayed solid throughout the competition and pulled it all together in the last round to secure the prestigious Last Cowboy Standing win,” Young said.

Young later added, “This was an exceptional pen of bulls presented by some of Queensland’s leading bull breeders at this event and one of the key reasons why the bulls dominated in quite a few of the 8-second matchups in tonight’s competition. Last Cowboy Standing format has again proven to be a winner with Australian bull riding fans, which will see it return to Brisbane again in 2017.”

The PBR returns to Brisbane Entertainment Centre on July 15, 2017 and tickets for the event go on sale today from www.ticketek.com.au.

PBR Australia
Last Cowboy Standing
Brisbane, Australia
(Payout, AUS points, World Points)

1. Cody Heffernan ($12,260.80, 550, 80)
2. Justin Paton ($10,058.84, 350, 50)
3. Jackson Felton ($300.00, 210, 30)
4. Bradie Gray ($150.00, 205, 20)
5. Troy Wilkinson ($150.00, 125, 15)
6/7. Roy Dunn ($150.00, 112.5, 5)
6/7. Robinson Guedes ($150.00, 112.5, 5)
8. Justin Robards ($150.00, 55, 0)
9. Ben Gooding ($150.00, 40, 0)
10/11. Mitchel Paton ($150.00, 42.5, 0)
10/11. Rohan Markham ($150.00, 2.5, 0)