Australian Cowboy Named Prestigious 2025 Linderman Award Recipient

The prestigious Linderman award goes to Australian cowboy Darcy Kersh. It has not been awarded to an Aussie since Bernie Smyth Jr. in 1992.

Fernando Sam-Sin

One of the most prestigious awards in PRORODEO is the Linderman Award. This title is presented to the PRCA cowboy who wins the most money in at least three events throughout the year, and of those events, one rough stock and one timed event is required.

Unlike the All Around, where money won in multiple events does not have to be on both ends of the arena, the Linderman award blends both rough stock and timed event cowboys into one. It is not often you see a cowboy that competes on both sides of the rodeo arena making it such a special honor to be recognized with.

Queensland, Australia cowboy, Darcy Kersh, did not set out in the 2025 season to win the Linderman, but as the season unfolded his good friend Travis Monroe pushed him to chase it after it was looking like a reachable goal.

Kersh competes in team roping, tie-down roping, saddle bronc riding, and his favorite event, steer wrestling.

The Journey to the Linderman

Fernando Sam-Sin

After dominating the Australian rodeo circuit in all his events Kersh decided a move to the States was the next step in furthering his rodeo career and reaching his full potential. Five years ago, Kersh sold everything to make the move to the States, and he has not yet been back to his homeland.

The initial goal was to make the finals in one of his events, so Kersh was focused on bulldogging, where he ended up 48th in the world standings this year with $44,745 won. Kersh is eligible to compete in most of the big winter rodeos, allowing him to pursue a National Finals qualification in steer wrestling.

Kersh explains, “Bulldogging feels more natural to me and is my favorite event”.

However, after winning money in the bronc riding at his first circuit rodeo, he decided to stick to bronc riding at the circuit rodeos. Darcy borrowed a saddle from Jake Finlay and went with it, winning $1,720 at his circuit rodeos in the saddle bronc riding and qualifying for the California Circuit Finals in Saddle Bronc.

“The Linderman Award was always a goal, I just did not know it was one I would obtain this year. Once the first rodeo went well in my events, I stuck with them at all my circuit rodeos”.

Kersh tie-down roped at over 17 circuit rodeos, and he says he borrowed over 15 different calf horses to use in 17 rodeos. He has some young calf horses in the making, but it suited him best to mount out his year. He pocketed $3,576 in the Tie-down Roping throughout the 2025 season. He ended up just out of qualifying for the California Circuit Finals this season in the Tie-down Roping.

Carex, Kersh’s steer wrestling horse, has been a huge part of his bulldogging success. He purchased the roan gelding two years ago and started him himself. Last year was his first year competing with Kersh.

Darcy brought along Trixi, a 20-year-old haze horse he borrowed from Sam Goings and was thankful that her experience made it easy for him to haul her and have multiple hazers jump on and haze for him.

It is difficult to travel with a hazer or any traveling partners because working multiple events makes it entirely too difficult to enter and manage, leaving Darcy on the road by himself for most of his travels.  

How Kersh Makes It All Work

So, what brings all these events together for the 26-year-old cowboy? It quite possibly may be his “day job”. When at home, Kersh breaks and trains horses. His normal day consists of riding 12 to 15 horses before heading to practice at 3 pm.

Darcy Kersh | Darcy Kersh

His horsemanship shows through his innate ability to jump ride multiple different calf horses throughout the season, team rope on both ends, cover a saddle bronc horse and train his own horses.

When asked about the difficulties of working both ends of the arena, Kersh explained it takes a lot of help from others who would assist in warming up horses, cooling them off as he runs to the chutes to get on a bronc, and sometimes finding a calf horse to ride proved difficult, but he pushed through.

Cowboys from different events can be different in nature, but Kersh said he likes how both the steer wrestlers and the bronc riders share a certain “camaraderie” toward each other. “They are constantly cheering you on through your ride, hazing or pushing, encouraging you, and doing whatever they can to help you win”.

Kersh grew up ranching and roping with his parents. When he decided to start rodeoing, his family and friends encouraged him to pursue his dreams. At a young age, Darcy knew his career was in rodeo and working with horses. He grew up watching and was inspired to be like the great Trevor Brazil, who he says is probably his biggest rodeo inspiration.

The 2025 Livermore rodeo holds a special memory for Kersh this year as he was able to win the steer wrestling and get on a NFR bronc and it was his birthday! “It was a good day that was fun and successful, a great way to celebrate a birthday."

Kersh has his sights on NFR qualifications, All Around Titles, and competing in the Cinch Timed Event Championships.

Kersh says the list of people who have helped him along his journey is long, including family, friends, other competitors, and sponsors.

The Linderman award is just another goal he can mark off his long list of titles and goals to capture and has catapulted him further toward many more successes in his rodeo career.

---