the only Australian to

win four rounds of the

Australian Rodeo

Championships held in

Toowoomba early Dec

ember.

The 17-year-old from

Eganstown also holds

the Australian junior

title and was the only

male to win the Junior

Barrel Racing.

"It's good, I didn't

think I could do it,"

Chapman said.

Chapman said there

was plenty of competi

tion at the champion

ships but he was pre

pared to do his best.

He had to compete in

12 rodeos throughout

the year to qualify for

the championships.

In doing so, he

picked up two titles

including the Junior

Barrel Racing and the

all-round champion.

"I like the thrill of

team racing. You have

to be so quick at it,"

Chapman said.

"I also like riding

horses."

Chapman started

riding horses at the

Glenlyon Pony Club

and horse breaker and

pre-trainer Bruce

Marsh from Millbrook

introduced the young

ster to Rodeos.

He lives for horses,

breaking them in

every day at the Boom

erang Ranch.

"In the future my

goal is to become a

professional cowboy

and a professional

horse breaker," Chap

man said.

"No Australian has

won the National Final

Rodeo in America and

I'd love to do it."

One of Chapman's

horses, Zorro, has

looked after him with

the worst injuries be

ing bruises and

scratches.

"I've fallen off plenty

of times but nothing

too serious," he said.

Chapman trains five

days a week and as

much as he can on

weekends.

He is a member of the

Australian Profes

sional Rodeo Associ

ation, the National

Rodeo Council of Aus

tralia and Southern

Cross, and is sponsored

by Spargo Hotel in

Korweinguboora.