World Class Pro Bull Riding Coming to Feilding
- enquiries9605
- Sep 24
- 3 min read
Fraser Babbington doesn’t do things by halves. The Gisborne farmer remains the only Kiwi to ever make the Pro Bull Riding World Final and now he’s bringing that adrenalin-pumped action to New Zealand.
He’s teamed up with the Aussies to launch the PBR Tasman Cup – a hard core full noise showdown between New Zealand and Australia in one of the toughest sports on dirt.
The first clash was held in Townsville a month or so back with the second running alongside the Cartown Kiwi Super Classic in December.
“The Australian clash in Townsville was the best PBR event on the circuit this year,” says 38-year-old Fraser. “It was the most amount of bulls ridden in a night at a PBR event this year with 48 buck-outs across the two teams.”
For Fraser, it is all about passion. “I have been pushing for a few years to make the Tasman Cup happen,”World Class Pro Bull Riding Coming to Feilding he says. “Pro bull riding is what I live for. I spent most of my bull riding career in Australia and have ridden for both countries. I’m still the only Kiwi to make the top 35 in the world and to have ridden in Vegas.”
He’s all about bringing through the next generation of bull riders as well. It’s a tough sport – both physically and mentally. “It’s an individual sport too with no financial backing here. You have to be dam good to make a living out of it but I managed to by working it in with my breaking and pre-training of horses which I used for fitness training as well.”
It took him a good 10 years to crack into the top and he reckons he won over $1 million riding bulls.
The PBR Tasman Cup at Manfeild is a joint venture between Fraser, his partner Emma Gibson and cousin Josh Mossman, who runs Capital Occasion, an event business in Wellington. There are two action-packed nights of competition where the riders – 10 on each team – buck two bulls each a night with the top four from each team going into a bonus round to decide the team championship. Riders must stay on for at least eight seconds to get a score fro
D and J Bucking Bulls, Jamison Bucking Bulls and WFL Bucking Bulls are tasked with bringing in the best bucking bulls from the north and south islands to the event. Johnny Ward, whose sons Rylee and Klay will be competing for New Zealand, has produced the last two bucking bulls of the year. He’s also a multiple New Zealand bull riding champ. He’ll be bringing Black Belt, whose sire Yellow Jacket is a world champion bucking bull, and his home-bred Sugar Boom – the 2025 bucking bull of the year.
These bulls, which range in weight from 700-1000kg, are bred to buck using the best of bloodlines from New Zealand, Australia and the United States.
“I love everything about this sport,” says Fraser, who is also an accomplished showjumper. Both he and Emma will also be competing in the showjumping at the Cartown Kiwi Super Classic with their team from High Country Performance Horses.
“There is no bigger challenge that going one-on-one with a 1000kg animal who has a reputation for making it near impossible to ride for the full eight seconds. Conquer that and there is no better feeling in the world.”
Fraser rode professionally for 12 years before retiring in 2019 to take up the reins of the family farm at Matawai, near Gisborne, and build up his and Emma’s horse training business.
“To have bull riding and showjumping come together at one event is a dream come true for me,” he says.
The Professional Bull Riders PBR NZ – incorporating the PBR Tasman Cup – runs on Friday and Saturday evenings and is a separately ticketed event. Tickets through: ticketfairy.com
WHAT: Cartown Kiwi Super Classic
WHEN: December 19-21, 2025
WHERE: Manfeild Park, Feilding
Words by Diana Dobson - The Black Balloon
