Mr Roughan (39), a member of the Lawrence Rodeo Club, has been involved with rodeo for 14 years, becoming interested in the sport when he tried bull-riding in the Lawrence Rodeo in 1998.
"I then tried saddle bronc. I was a little scared of the bulls really, and saddle bronc looked a bit easier. It wasn't as easy as I thought.
"You have to work at it yourself and find out what works for you."
Saddle bronc is considered to be the event that started rodeo, originating from the job of breaking in and training horses to be used in American ranches in the days of the Wild West.
While Mr Roughan is leading the saddle bronc standings, it is no guarantee of a placing this weekend.
"It doesn't matter who is leading now, this weekend is what really counts." Mr Roughan works in Alexandra training horses for a living.
"It's a different style of riding, you have to learn to ride a completely different way. You have to stay relaxed and move with the horse. You're also in a different kind of saddle. Learning the right technique is probably the most important skill - and the hardest."
Most of the skills involved with the sport are developed through experience gained in competition.
On finals day several different factors came into play.
"You draw your stock and hopefully you get three good ones. You want three rides - you can't really afford to get bucked because you need three scores to have a chance."
Stockmanship was also important, as was keeping the horse calm while saddling, he said.
