PBR Grand Finals: Leather brothers return for Townsville showdown
Champion bull-riding brothers Boston and Macaulie Leather are set to thrill hometown crowds at Townsville's PBR Grand Finals this weekend.
Fresh off the back of competing in the US, the Leather brothers are ready to wow the crowds at the PBR Grand Finals at the Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre.
As part of the entertainment for the event Tennessee-born army veteran Kyle Lamon will entertain the crowds with his trick rope skills and stunts.
His first ever trip to Australia, Mr Lamon said he was loving the Townsville atmosphere.
“I haven’t met a single mean person in Australia yet,” he said.
“It’s unbelievable, everyone here is so awesome, so nice and everybody just like to enjoy life and have a good time.
“As an entertainer that makes my job so much easier, because everyone is already having a good time. It’s very refreshing to see that.”
A US army veteran who served in Afghanistan, Mr Lamon decided on a career change after the birth of his son and said he felt the pride of Townsville being in a garrison city.
“It’s like home to me, the way I see it is bull-riding or the rodeo community is all about camaraderie and family and brotherhood and friendship and that correlates with the military,” he said.
“It’s even more rewarding that I get to come to such a great place and see great people who also contribute to their country.”
Performing stunts and cracking some jokes, Mr Lamon said his job was “life-changing” and rewarding to see the everyone having a good time.”
“My job is to make sure that everybody is having a great time walking these guys and in between getting to crack some jokes and do some flips and dancing and make sure that everyone is having the time of their life.”
“I did ride bulls for six years, wasn’t very good at it, so I knew I had to make a change. Now I get to watch my buddies compete.”
Taking out the title last year 19-year-old Boston Leather, along with his brother and 2023 champion 24-year-old Macaulie are soaking up the excitement and say they are ready to compete back on home soil.
The brothers from Calliope come from a family of 13 kids, many of which compete in bull and horse riding.
Macaulie said the secret behind the “toughest eight seconds in sport” was to stay composed and said each year the PBR Townsville event gets bigger and better.
“There’s nothing like it … It’s always the best event every year,” he said.
“Just continuing to have it here and see it grow, it just attracts more and more people.”
Despite having a tough year of injuries including a broken shoulder blade, and a “busted knee” brother Boston said the hard days “fuel the fire”.
“I’m just ready to get back on them and more bloody hungry than ever,” he said.
His advice for up and coming bull riders – work hard and keep at it.
“I’m sort of proof that you’re doing good one year and the next, it’s not, it doesn't go according to plan so you just got to keep working at it and get better,”
The PBR Grand Finals are being held on October 31 and November 1.
Saturday night is sold out.
Originally published as PBR Grand Finals: Leather brothers return for Townsville showdown
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