As school returns this week, Red Bend will welcome back a couple of champion cowgirls.

Stevee Besant has been named overall champion cowgirl of the 2024 season following a solid performance at the ABCRA national finals, and her sister Lacey the champion cowgirl of the finals.

Stevee, who competes in 11-14 years, led the pointscore into the national finals, at Tamworth on the Australia Day weekend, following a stellar competition season in barrel racing and solid performance in breakaway roping.

But taking out the title for the year was still going to take good results over the three days of competition - and Stevee delivered.

Stevee was riding a comparatively young and new horse in Harry Highpants, who wasn't even bought for the sport but who had adapted quickly and well to the sport of barrel racing.

"My dad actually bought him for himself to go and check his cows," mum Jenise said.

"We picked him up and said no, we like him too much."

Lacey, riding in the 14 to U18years, won the final round of the breakaway roping with a personal best time of 1.98 seconds to cap an outstanding three days and win the title of champion cowgirl of the competition.

She'd qualified in the top 15 of the country for both barrel racing and breakaway roping to earn her place at the finals.

Three excellent runs, including a place, in the barrel racing and roping two of three calves in the breakaway gave her the points for the championship.

Connie, who took a new horse to Tamworth, was placed fourth in the average in the 14 to U18s - rounding out a sensational rodeo for the three sisters.

Jenise said the event was an incredibly rewarding finale to a busy but brilliant season for the family.

Rodeo competitors amass points from November to November for a chance to compete at the ABCRA nationals each January, and the Besant sisters have been regulars at the finals since they were each about 10 years old.

Horses and rodeo are entrenched in the family, Jenise also a barrel racer and dad Jason a pick-up man in the arena.

The sport is incredibly competitive and requires real commitment, but they love it.

Training and care for the horses is daily, whatever the weather or whatever else might be going on.

"Dedication is key: looking after your horse, having the connection with your horse," Jenise said.

"From first to sixth placing (in barrel racing) there can be a few hundredths of a second difference, it is so competitive."

There have been a lot of late nights and early mornings, but it's also opened the doors to wonderful experiences for them as a family, as they're all involved.

They're travelling just about every weekend - and even hit the road after nationals to Taralga to compete there with success as well.

One of the highlights of 2024 was laoding the family, seven horses and two dogs up for a huge road trip up north to compete, all the way to Cape York.

Harry Highpants was one of the horses they took on that road trip, and Jenise recognised he was ready to compete after a few weeks spell on their return.

"Stevee came back and won 10 rodeos in a row," she said.

"It wasn't expected, he picked it up really really well."