Tamworth cowboys and cowgirls make trek to Victoria for APRA National Finals

In August the Hallsville cowgirl realised that dream taking out the breakaway roping in her first time competing in the event.

Now she is hoping to rope an even bigger prize.

Tribe is part of a strong local contingent chasing national title buckles at the Australian Professional Rodeo Association National Finals.

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The pinnacle event of the season, the finals were originally scheduled to be held in Warwick in October but will now be held over the next two weekends at Chiltern and Alexandra, with the first round on Friday night.

It's Tribe's first time riding at the finals, and she can't wait.

"It will be really good. My whole family will be there and a whole lot of people from Tamworth," she said.

Dad Casey Tribe has qualified with Cloncurry cowboy Colin Ferguson in the team roping, while partner Kai Clark will team up with sister Bianca's partner Will Miller in the same event.

The 22-year old is a third generation cowgirl and has been around rodeo all her life.

She goes into the finals in third after a pretty successful year, highlighted by winning at Mt Isa.

"It was probably the highlight of my rodeo career," she confessed.

"My parents had won up there in the past and I always dreamt of winning there."

Part of the 'northern run', the win followed placings at Taroom, Charters Towers and Cloncurry and effectively sealed her finals spot.

"The northern run set me up in a good position to make the finals and took the pressure off a bit," Tribe said.

A trainee accountant with PKF in Tamworth, she is hoping to be able to recapture that form after having "no luck" at the recent Tumbarumba and Alexandra rodeos.

In a confidence boost she will reunite with regular roping horse Lethal Lil Pepto, or Tiny as he is better known.

"He's quite a fierce little breakaway horse and I've been really successful on him.

"But he's had a bit of an injury so I haven't able to ride him," she said.

But he is right to go.

With the money on offer, Tribe has a good shot at the title if she can "stay consistent and get a few round placings".

Moonbi's Lauren Smith sits behind her in fourth.

It will also be a family affair for Smith with husband Ben partnering with Victorian Cowboy Terry Evison in the team roping.

He will also compete in the rope and tie alongside former Bendemeer cowboy Brady Smith, who leads the team roping standings and will partner with Moonbi cowboy Ty Parkinson.

Manilla cowboy Tom Knight meanwhile goes in in the No.1 spot in the saddlebronc and will be joined by younger brother Mick, who is fresh from winning the Xtreme Broncs event in Tamworth last weekend.

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