Cody Heffernan capped off one of the most memorable weeks of his life with victory in the PBR Australia Monster Energy Tour Tamworth Iron Cowboy event at AELEC.
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The win came two days after the Singleton cowboy married partner Ali Ross and saw him close to within 80 points of Aaron Kleier in the 2022 PBR Australia Championship race.
Backing up his perfect performance at the recent PBR Australia Touring Pro Division in Kilkivan, Heffernan delivered a two-for-three effort on Saturday night to pick up his 11th podium placing of the season.
In Round 1, he went to work against Double Dealings (ST Bucking Bulls), scoring 85 points to surge to the top spot on the event leaderboard.
He then faced off against A Force (ST Bucking Bulls). Despite being upended in a quick 3.13 seconds, the 32-year-old's opening score was enough to punch his ticket to the championship round, where he matched Big Buck Hunter (ST Bucking Bulls) jump-for-jump to be awarded an event-high 86.5 points and clinch the victory.
With the 180 points for the event win, Heffernan decimated Kleier's lead from 258.5 to a mere 78.5.
It was a NSW quinella with Dungog's Thomas Hudson second. The only other cowboy to register two rides, the 136 national points catapulted him to 11th.
After bucking off Sting (Shultz Bucking Bulls) in the first round in a heart-breaking 7.48 seconds, the 22-year old returned with a vengeance in Round 2, covering Arm Chair (ST Bucking Bulls) for 51 points to secure a spot in the championship round.
He continued his momentum, conquering Mayne Man (Throsby & Russell Bucking Bulls) for 83.5 points and a total of 134.5.
Will Purcell (Merrijig, Victoria) was third courtesy of his Round 2-winning, 85.5-point ride on Told Ya So (Throsby & Russel Bucking Bulls).
He finished just ahead of Tamworth's own Lachlan Slade, who was one-for-three for the event and added 84 points to his national tally compliments of his 84.5-point score aboard Yella Belly (Throsby & Russell Bucking Bulls).
He is now No. 12 in Australia.
Rounding out the Top was seven-time PBR World Finals qualifier Lachlan Richardson (Gresford).
In the bull pen, Ambush (MJ/Keliher Bucking Bulls) was crowned the Bull of the Event, after being marked 43 points in the championship round for his 5.31-second buck-off of Richardson.
The season now moves onto Deepwater for the Touring Pro Division's PBR Deepwater Invitational on Saturday, November 12.
The final tour stop before the series Grand Finals in Townsville, from November 25-26, the action gets underway at the Deepwater Race Course at 3pm.
PBR Australia Monster Energy Tour Tamworth Iron Cowboy Results
1 Cody Heffernan 171.50-
2 Thomas Hudson 134.50
3 Will Purcell 85.50
4. Lachlan Slade 84.5
5. Lachlan Richardson 84.0
6. Brady Fielder 82.5
7. Trefor Sproule 81.5
8. Chris Borghero 81.0
