A brother and sister combination, born and bred in Otago but now living in Canterbury, took four of the nine top honours at the National Finals Rodeo, held in Wanaka at the weekend.
Patrick McCarthy, of Rakaia, and his sister Kate Haugh, of Geraldine, won the two team roping titles.
McCarthy also won the rope and tie and the all round champion title for the first time.
He told the Otago Daily Times he had been competing in rodeos all his life and had won other titles previously. He said he was ''really stoked'' and gave credit to his two horses.
Mrs Haugh - ''Patrick's big sister'' - said they started the competition in second position but had a good final go round win.
There were other good results for Otago cowboys and cowgirls at the event, held beneath a blazing sky in front of a crowd estimated at about 3000.
Former champion barrel rider Angie Meehan of Lake McKay station, Wanaka, began yesterday's second day of events in first place and added a second and a third for the title.
Ritchie Morrow, of Alexandra, led the steer wrestling at the start of the day. He did not feature in the results for the second go round but had a first in the third, and that gave him the title.
Bareback rider Ross Dowling, of Ranfurly, did not do quite enough to unseat champion Rex Church, of Otorohanga.
Paul Robinson, of Palmerston, started yesterday in first place in the saddle bronc and then had a third and a fourth to be beaten to the title by Ramoan Neho, of Kaitaia.
National title winners were: All round champion, Patrick McCarthy; bareback, Rex Church; rope and tie, McCarthy; saddle bronc, Neho; barrel race, Meehan; steer wrestling, Morrow; team roping header, McCarthy; team roping heeler, Haugh; bull ride, Johnson Davis, of Taupo.
