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Next generation of bull riding stars named for PBR Origin 2026

PBR Australia

The best junior bull riders in Queensland and NSW announced in ORIGIN TEAMS

 

While the Open teams won’t be announced until May 13, the next generation of bull riding talent is already pulling on their state colours, with the junior teams for the 2026 PBR Australia Monster Energy Origin Series revealed today. IMAGES AND VISION HERE

 

They’re the future of the sport, young, fearless, and ready to ride for state pride, and just like their senior heroes, they’ll don the blue and maroon jerseys and face the ultimate test: eight seconds of glory… or the dirt.

Junior riders will compete at all three Origin events in Newcastle, Brisbane and Sydney, with teams of four selected from the 2025 PBR Australia Can-Am Junior Academy. Aged between nine and 17, these rising stars will go head-to-head in one of the fiercest rivalries in Australian sport, just on a smaller, but no less determined, scale.

 

For 13-year-old Kassedy Carlon from Bundarra in north western NSW, this year marks his third time representing the Blues on bulls, making him the most experienced rider in the New South Wales junior lineup, a remarkable achievement for one so young.

 

Queensland’s team boasts Gympie brothers Chase and Jasper Wieland, with nine-year-old Jasper the youngest rider in the series, a brotherly double act ready to fire up Maroon pride.

 

Team Queensland

• Lane Cross (Bundaberg, QLD) – 17 years
• Chase Wieland (Gympie, QLD) – 14 years (second time representing – 2024)
• Wylie Roots (Duaringa, QLD) – 13 years (third time representing – 2024, 2025)
• Jasper Wieland (Gympie, QLD) – 9 years

 

Team New South Wales

• Liam Birks (Tamworth, NSW) – 16 years
• Kassedy Carlon (Bundarra, NSW) – 13 years (third time representing – 2024, 2025)
• Nash Goddard (Glendon Brook, NSW) – 12 years
• Chase Berry (Gunnedah, NSW) – 10 years

 

“The Queensland–New South Wales Origin rivalry is legendary, and nowhere is it tougher than in the PBR arena,” said PBR Australia Managing Director Glen Young. “Wearing a blue or maroon jersey and riding for eight seconds brings a special kind of pride. Origin fever isn’t just for elite riders and NRL stars, these junior cowboys live and breathe it too,” he said. “The Can-Am Junior Academy is more than a ride or a series; it’s the breeding ground for the next generation of champions. These young athletes are born for this and represent the future of bull riding in Australia. Bringing them into the Origin Series gives them even more experience, this time riding bulls as a team.”

 

Origin 2026 begins in Newcastle on May 30, before heading to Brisbane on June 6, and culminating in Sydney at the TikTok Entertainment Centre on August 1. Tickets are on sale now.

 

PBR Australia Presents:  PBR Monster Energy Origin I - NEWCASTLE

May 30 at 7:00 PM at Newcastle Entertainment Centre  

PBR Monster Energy Origin I tickets | Newcastle Entertainment Centre | Ticketek Australia

 

PBR Australia Presents: PBR Monster Energy Origin II – BRISBANE

June 6 at 7:00 PM at Brisbane Entertainment Centre  

PBR Monster Energy Origin II tickets | Brisbane Entertainment Centre | Ticketek Australia

 

PBR Australia Presents: PBR Monster Energy Origin II – SYDNEY

August 1 at 7:00 PM at TikTok Entertainment Centre, Sydney

PBR Monster Energy Origin III tickets | TikTok Entertainment Centre | Ticketek Australia

 

2025 ORIGIN SERIES vision, imagery and interviews here

 

WHERE AND WHEN TO SEE AUSTRALIA’S BEST BULL RIDERS IN 2026

All event detail can be found here: Schedule — The Professional Bull Riders

 

ABOUT PBR AUSTRALIA

Professional Bull Riders (PBR) is one of the fastest-growing sports properties in the world, with tours across the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico. A subsidiary of TKO Group Holdings —which also owns UFC and WWE— has transformed bull riding into a premier international sport since its founding in 1992. The organisation features over 1,000 riders globally and hosts more than 200 events annually worldwide. In Australia, Professional Bull Riders Australia (PBRA) stages more than 20 events each year, attracting over 75,000 fans. PBRA showcases key events and tours such as the Monster Energy Tour, PBR Origin Series, and PBR Grand Finals, while also partnering with regional event organisers through the PBR Touring Pro Division. The organisation supports emerging talent through its Can-Am Junior Academy and serves as an international pathway to the United States circuit for both Junior and Open competition athletes. For more information, visit www.pbraustralia.com.au.

Contact details:

Kath Rose on 0416 291 493 or email [email protected]