NEWCASTLE, Australia - A capacity crowd of New South Wales bull riding fans were treated to a night of highs and lows in the Newcastle Entertainment Centre, as hometown favorite Lachlan Richardson produced three great rides to secure his first Australian Cup Series win. With the victory, he moved one step closer to his rival Dave Kennedy in the race for the Australian title.

Rookie of the Year Challenger Sam O'Connor took the early lead in Round 1 with an 88-point effort on Madness. Havre Stewart and New Zealand's Fraser Babbington tied for second and third with 86-point scores. Richardson put up 84.5 points in the first round.

Round 2 was dominated by the bull riders, as over 60 percent of the bulls were ridden. Local favorite Richardson added an 89-point score aboard Buster, giving him a 5.5-point lead going into the championship round.

The atmosphere was electric for the championship round with three of the Top 8 positions filled by local favorites: Richardson, Ben Jones and Jason O'Hearn, who was making his return to competition after suffering an injury at the 2011 World Finals in Las Vegas. Joining the New South Welshman in the final round were Stewart, Ryan Dirteater, Jory Markis and Babbington, as well as 2011 PBR Australian Champion Jock Connolly.

Richardson did not hesitate in selecting two-time bucking bull of the year, Lab Rat, the same bull that Brendon Clark won his namesake event on in 2011. With the final selection, Jones had no choice but to take Bitter and Twister, who had not been ridden for the past three years.

Jones overcame the reputation of Bitter and Twisted, making the whistle for an impressive 85.5-point score to give him the lead. The next three riders (Stewart, Dirteater and O'Hearn) bucked off. Markis and Babbington each posted 86-point scores in the championship round, and Babbington moved to the top position going into Richardson's final ride.

Lachlan Richardson covers Lab Rat for 87.25 points and the win.

The scene was set as Richardson scored 87.25 points on Lab Rat, giving him a three-bull total of 266.5 points, 10 points ahead of his nearest rival, Babbington.

With the win, Richardson gained ground on Kennedy, the top-ranked rider going into the Australian Finals in Sydney on July 21.

The PBR riders now head north to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre for the Brisbane Invitational on July 14, where Kennedy will be looking to retain his lead in the race for the Australian title and $15,000 bonus.

Next Events:
Brisbane Invitational - July 14th at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.
Australian Finals - July 21st at the Sydney Allphones Arena.

Event Results
Round 1:
1st: Sam O'Connor, 88 points.
2/3rd: Harve Stewart, 86 points.
2/3rd: Fraser Babbington, 86 points.
4/5th: Jock Connolly, 84.5 points.
4/5th: Lachlan Richardson, 84.5 points.

Round 2:
1st: Lachlan Richardson, 89 points.
2nd: Chris Lowe, 86.5 points.
3/4th: Mitch Paton, 86 points.
3/4th: Jory Markis, 86 points.
5th: Chase Outlaw, 85 points.

Championship Round:
1st: Lachlan Richardson, 87.25 points
2/3rd: Fraser Babbington, 86 points.
2/3rd: Jory Markis, 86 points.
4th: Ben Jones, 85.5 points.

Average:
1st: Lachlan Richardson, 266.5 points.
2nd: Fraser Babbington, 256.5 points.
3rd: Jory Markis, 254.5 points.
4th: Ben Jones, 250.5 points.

Follow Jack Carnefix on Twitter @JackCarnefix.