Every cowboy in the country dreams of qualifying for the four-day event in Warwick, but only 15 in each class have made the cut.

High-quality stock provided by Gill and other leading contractors has been critical in building the profile of the sport, and drawing talent to events such as the upcoming Australian Professional Rodeo Association finals.

“That makes the good riders want to go, they have a better chance of winning on good stock,” Gill said.

“The trucks are getting ready to leave, 18 horses and 10 bulls have qualified, they’ll be going through Wagga in half an hour.”

After surviving a rigorous selection process, having performed consistently at a series of rodeos, Gill’s stock attained the final green-light on Sunday, as APRA director representing bull riders, Brad Pierce, and director representing bareback riders, Ben Hall, gave their approval.

“Something may have happened, sometimes they come in lame, but they’re all fit and shining,” Gill said.

“Our biggest problem is, some are too fat, we’ve been trying to thin them down.”

Gill, his wife Margaret, and their son Jarrad depart for their annual pilgrimage to Warwick on Tuesday.