Manilla's Tom and Mick Knight ready to rock AELEC for Xtreme Broncs pro tour final

Hardly surprising with three cowboys in the family.

After following in the footsteps of older brother Sam, who is now retired, Tom and Mick are currently two of the top saddlebronc riders in the country.

At AELEC on Saturday night the Manilla duo will do battle against the cream of the crop for the title of Xtreme Broncs Australia pro tour champion.

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Tom enters in the No.1 spot with Mick fifth after catapulting his way into the top 12 with his second place finish at the Upper Horton event on New Years Eve.

Two years Tom's junior, last year was the 24-year old's first competing in the broncs.

Up until then he'd preferred riding bulls.

But after a few too many injuries, and not wanting to step away from the sport, he decided to switch to saddlebroncs and roping.

"I was always getting busted up. They're (bulls) a bit bigger and hurt you a bit more," he said.

In some ways it was a natural fit.

"I've been riding horses all my life," Mick said.

"I pretty much rode horses before I could walk, always had the feel for it."

That didn't necessarily translate into riding bucking horses, and there has admittedly been a lot of "buck-offs" and "head plants".

"They do say it's one of the hardest sports to pick up," he said.

He has been pretty fortunate to have "a fair few good coaches around" eluding to in particular his older brothers.

"Plus the Gill brothers are just down the road; they've got endless broncs to have a practice on."

Asked what the biggest challenge riding broncs as opposed to bulls is, he said "trying to get your rhythm".

With bulls, and bareback, you're really "just trying to hang on".

Knight admits he is still learning, but he has managed to pick up a few placings along the way, and following the Xtreme Broncs will head down to Victoria for the Australian Professional Rodeo Association National Finals.

They are being run over the next two weekends.

Tom also leads those standings, Mick's effort in qualifying as one of the top 15 all the more impressive for the fact that the points are cumulative of 2020 and 2021 and he wasn't riding broncs in 2020.

He did get to savour a couple of victories over his brother, most recently at Alexandra, where one weekend of the finals will be held, on the weekend just gone.

"It's good to get one up on him every now and then," he said.

"It doesn't happen that often. When I do I like to rub it into him."

When not rodeoing, Mick along with Tom and Sam, help run the family's waygu operation.

They also have a few horses and inbetween the two weekends of the APRA finals he will be back at AELEC and riding a couple at the Nutrien Classic Campdraft & Sale.

Saturday's finals will be held in conjunction with the Xtreme Bulls tour finals.

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