Parkinson stars for Team Australia
BY ALEX TIGANI
When Western Texas College freshman Luke Parkinson woke up last Wednesday morning, he had no idea he would be representing Team Australia at the 2022 PBR Global Cup USA three days later.
Not only did the Denman bull-rider leap at the opportunity, he also proved to be the most successful rider for his nation who finished fourth out of six teams.
“I was a bit surprised, but I was definitely ready,” Parkinson said last week.
The 20-year-old was a late replacement for Queenslander Callum Miller who was unable to get from Canada to Texas in time. Singleton’s Cody Heffernan was also a late omission, his spot was filled by Sam Woodall and Jake Curr.
The AT&T Stadium crowd went wild for Parkinson when he rode ‘Bread Basket’ for 88.5 points to win Round 2 and notch the first overseas ride of his PBR career.
“I had just gotten off practice bulls when the Australian coach Eddie Fisher rang me on Wednesday,” he added.
“So, I was pretty pumped.”
| 2022 PBR Global Cup (AT&T Stadium, Arlington USA) | ||||
| Ranking | Team | Rides | Outs | Event Aggregate |
| 1. | Team USA Eagles | 6 | 7 | 527 |
| 2. | Team Brazil | 5 | 7 | 433.75 |
| 3. | Team Mexico | 1 | 7 | 89.25 |
| 4. | Team Australia | 1 | 7 | 88.5 |
| 5. | Team Canada | 1 | 7 | 84 |
| 6. | Team USA Wolves | 0 | 7 | 0 |