TAMWORTH, Australia - A crowd of over 4,000 converged on AELEC Arena Saturday night for one of the toughest bull riding competitions of Australia's year, as 22 riders went head-to-head with some of the best bulls in the country.

Section 1 of the competition saw PBR rookie Jeff Moretto from Narangba take an early lead with an 89-point ride on the notorious Phantom. International star Brendon Clark was a close second on Get Rich Quick with an 88-point score.

Missouri-based Luke Snyder had a tough time on the Australian bulls, tasting the Tamworth dirt on both of his bulls. Ty Patten from Canada would be the only foreign rider to make the whistle in Section 1, with an 83-point ride.

Section 2 would see the bull power lift a level as Kempsey's Pete Farley and American Justin Koon shared the lead with 89-point scores, and Kyogle's David Kennedy making his move in the competition with an 88-point ride aboard the Trevor and Tony Dunne bull Hang Tough.

After 44 buckouts, only two men had ridden both their bulls: Two-time Australian Champion Kennedy and World Finals qualifier Clark. The two men were tied at 174 going into the bull draft for the championship round.

Kennedy would choose first, selecting 2010 Bucking Bull of the Year Lab Rat, while Clark would select 2011 Bucking Bull of the Year That's Gold. The Top 8 lineup would also feature Farley, Queensland's Jeff Moretto and Sam O'Connor, Northern Territory's Sam Larsen, and international riders Ty Pozzobon and Koon.

Larsen would be the first rider to experience the extreme bull power of the championship round, as one by one the bulls continued to win against the riders until the final two, Clark and Kennedy. Clark's matchup on That's Gold was a smart choice, but the bull would prove to be too strong for Clark on the day. In the final matchup of the night, Kennedy notched the highest score of the event with 90 points, giving him the 2011 Tamworth Invitational win.

Full results are available here.

NOTES

FOR A GOOD CAUSE: Ross Coleman, J.W. Hart, and Cord McCoy will participate in a Celebrity Cutting Horse Event to benefit the Careity Foundation on Friday, Dec. 2, in Fort Worth, Texas, as part of the National Cutting Horse Association Futurity. The three will be joined by reigning Iron Cowboy Colby Yates Saturday from 1-3 p.m. for an autograph signing at the Best of the West Shopping Experience in the Amon G. Carter exhibit Hall at the Will Rogers Memorial Complex.

- Courtesy PBR Australia