Wodonga's Jarrod McKane notches up APRA national bareback bronc title

"I think about things a bit on the way there," the 20-year-old Wodonga cowboy admits.

But once he settles his wiry frame into the chute, his trademark cream cowboy hat pulled down low on his head and his Wrangler-clad legs wrapped around the rigging on the horse, a steely calm descends.

Against the hushed expectation of the crowd and the tightly-strung tension of a 600-kilogram animal bunched underneath him, the young bronc rider waits for the gates to spring open.

"It's only eight seconds but a lot can happen," Jarrod states simply.

"You can't make any judgements before you get on.

"You've got to capitalise on every horse - every buck, every spur, (the judges want to see you) in control - and you don't want to waste the good ones!"

In those adrenaline-packed seconds when you're balancing mid-air atop a writhing, bucking ball of horse-power, there's no time to second-guess yourself.

"If you think, that's when you'll get hurt," Jarrod says.

"You've got to have good reflexes and be able to respond mentally to tell yourself what you need to do."

The "biggest high" is when you step off the horse knowing you've done a good job, according to this politely spoken young man.

"It makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck a bit," he admits.

Jarrod McKane's had plenty of opportunities to experience the spine-tingling thrill of a job well done this rodeo season.

This relatively green cowboy has ridden his way into the history books, recently taking out the Australian Professional Rodeo Association's (APRA) national bareback riding title.

That's on the back of being crowned APRA's pro-tour bareback riding champion, rookie cowboy of the year and rookie bareback rider of the year.

Together with his Chiltern-based barrel racing girlfriend, Molly Phibbs, Jarrod has traipsed up and down the east side of Australia chasing his dreams on the rodeo circuit.

Ride after ride, he's notched up wins and placings on broncs with such infamous titles as Little Angel, Swamp Rose, Lady in Black and Mistaken Identity.

He's "pretty certain" he was the youngest cowboy in the mix for the title.

"Everyone else has got a fair way on me," he says, citing the likes of 38-year-old veteran Dave Worsfold who's won four Australian titles and ridden in the US.

"I'm lovin' it," Jarrod exclaims.

And as much as the "game plan" is about beating the horse you're drawn, it's clear Jarrod admires and respects his four-legged adversaries.

"I love bucking horses," he says.

"There's a lot of power in them and I reckon a horse is more of an athlete than we are ... They are bred for the sport and get looked after a lot better than we do!"

Jarrod sort of fell into rodeo.

"I never really got a chance to ride as a kid," he says. "Mum and Dad (Lyn and Ross McKane) drove stock trucks and didn't have anything to do with it.

"I met a guy, now a good friend, and got on a few steers when I was about 14 and realised how much I liked it."

He wasn't exactly a natural at first.

"I couldn't ride them (the steers) at the start," Jarrod laughs. "But I knew I wanted to rodeo and I was riding junior bulls and novice bulls until I was about 18. Then I went along to a bareback riding school with Molly's brother, Tom, and fell in love with it there. Still, it took a bit to work out."

Rodeo is a traditional part of Australian outback life.

It is also one of the social and sporting highlights of the year in many rural towns, including in the North East, raising millions of dollars for community projects and charities.

No other sport can claim such a strong link to the day-to-day skills and practices of the working stockmen and drovers, according to APRA.

"Australian rodeo can be traced back some 150 years to informal matches between renowned horse breakers or rough riders and outlaw buckjumpers," it states.

"Most stations boasted a horse that can't be ridden and any man who claimed he could ride a bit was sure to be put to the test.

"The best went on to make a living from (it) ... their successors take their chances week after week on the competitive professional rodeo circuits in Australia, Canada and the US."

Few outside the game realise that rodeo - synonymous with thrills and spills, bulls and blood, boots and big belt buckles, wild rides and even wilder cowboys and cowgirls - requires a surprising degree of dedication and discipline.

Take your chances lightly and you risk injury or even death.

Those who take it seriously, cowboys like Jarrod McKane, devote time and energy into honing their craft.

They watch and learn from the best; Jarrod credits Eurong Creek's Brock Mulhall with teaching him everything he knows.

"Without the countless hours (with him) on the spur board and mucking with riggings, I wouldn't have won anything," he says.

And if you're coming off a bit of a break "you've got to get on a few", says Jarrod, who goes shearing in the off-season.

He'll head down to Benalla and get on some of the practise horses of legendary stock contractor Garry McPhee.

Once you're rodeoing every weekend, though, you get match fit.

"It takes commitment," says Jarrod, who goes to the gym three times a week to strengthen his core muscles. "You need to develop balance and stability so you can stay where you need to be.

"They've done a lot of research on this in the US and when I went to Queensland I got a program from (fitness instructor) Chris Sharpe who was helping a friend of mine. I wanted to give it a crack to take myself to the next level."

Chiltern Rodeo Club president Michael Phibbs believes Jarrod's commitment is what sets him apart.

"He's been taught by the best and he's got no bad habits," Mr Phibbs says. "He starts the ride right and finishes it right."

Attitude is everything.

"You've got to be pretty mentally strong because of the toll it takes on your body," Jarrod says.

Bareback is often referred to as the "suicide ride", he adds.

The suitcase handle on the rigging only allows for your hand to go in one way and come out one way.

"With bull riding you can come off multiple ways whereas (in bareback) if you go off the wrong way, it takes a lot more swinging from the hand," Jarrod says.

So far he's been lucky; a couple of broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder his only injuries to date.

"It's going to happen one day," Jarrod says matter-of-factly.

In the meantime he's gearing up for Chiltern Rodeo on March 13, followed by a gig at Sydney Royal Easter Show, which draws a crowd of 60,000 spectators a night.

The US is in his sights as "there are a few Aussies over there giving them a bit of hell".

"I just want to keep going," he says.

Mr Phibbs reckons Jarrod's on track to claim the Kelvin Duke Memorial buckle at Chiltern again this year - the open bareback event is named in honour of the committee's beloved former president who lost his battle with cancer in 2019.

Having one of their own in the spotlight has been a shot in the arm for the close-knit committee that has fought hard to keep rodeo alive during COVID-19 and recently hosted the first two rounds of national rodeo titles.

Jarrod was right there amongst it, riding high in front of his home crowd.

Now while there's no doubt this is one handy cowboy, those closest to him might tell you Jarrod's actually not much chop as a straight-up rider.

"Yeah, I'd rather sit on bucking horses than riding horses," he admits.

"But you know, some people are world champions and they can't ride a horse!"