By Kacie Albert
SASKATOON, Sask. – With just two events remaining prior to the 2021 PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Canada National Finals, presented by Command Tubular Products, the world’s best bull riders showed up and showed out at the elite Cup Series’ Saskatoon Classic at SaskTel Centre Friday evening. Each chasing history, 2018 PBR Canada Champion Cody Coverchuk (Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan) dominated the tour stop’s accompanying 5/5 Bucking Battle, while Callum Miller (Warwick, Queensland, Australia) took the top spot in Round 1.
Attempting to become just the third multi-time PBR Canada Champion in league history, Coverchuk was sensational in the event’s bonus round, becoming the first rider to cover Crossfire’s Black Jack (Lazy S Bucking Bulls) by making the requisite 8 for 88.5 points.
The qualified ride was Coverchuk’s second of the night.
He first brought the raucous Saskatoon crowd to its feet in Round 1 when he registered the second-best score, 85.5 points aboard Langham Kid(Two Bit Bucking Bulls).
Collectively Coverchuk earned 25.5 Canadian points and climbed from No. 4 to No. 3 in the race for the 2021 PBR Canada Championship and accompanying $50,000 bonus. He is now within 119.16 points of the top position.
The home province hopeful will look to register his third qualified ride of the 13th PBR Canada event all time from Saskatoon when he climbs aboard Pure Feeling (Vold Rodeo) in Round 2.
Seeking a league-first of his own, surging Australian Miller was unrivaled in Round 1, collecting his third round victory of the season when he rodeBy The Batch (Vold Rodeo) for 86.5 points.
Miller earned 15 national points. Maintaining his No. 5 rank in the national standings, he closed within 143.66 points of the No. 1 rank.
Should Miller earn the year’s PBR Canada Championship Nov. 12-13 in Edmonton, Alberta, at Rogers Place, he would become the first-ever Aussie to win the Canadian title.
Miller will next attempt Stay Alert (X6 Ranch Bucking Cattle/Lazy S Bucking Bulls) as Championship Saturday from Saskatoon gets underway with Round 2.
Atop the race for the national title, Dakota Buttar (Kindersley, Saskatchewan) maintained his No. 1 rank compliments of a fifth-place finish in Round 1 as he seeks to become the first back-to-back PBR Canada Champion in league history.
Earning a re-ride, Buttar prepared to go head-to-head against a familiar foe in Grey Tower III (Vold Rodeo/Robinson).
A rubber match, Buttar covered the Vold Rodeo bovine athlete in June 2019 during the Touring Pro Division event in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, for 89.5 points, but was bucked off in a quick 2.01 seconds during their subsequent meeting in Round 3 of the 2019 PBR Canada Finals.
Avenging the buckoff which denied prevented him from being crowned the 2019 PBR Canada Champion, Buttar outmatched Grey Tower III for an 84.5-point score on Friday night.
Buttar earned 4 national points and now leads No. 2 Zane Lambert (Ponoka, Alberta) by 100.16 points.
In Round 2, Buttar will look to climb the event leaderboard when he faces off against Thor’s Hammer (Wild Hoggs Bucking Bulls).
Rookie of the Year contender Dawson Shannon (Drayton Valley, Alberta) tied for second in Round 1 alongside Coverchuk after delivering a matching 85.5-point score.
Snapping a 10-out buckoff streak across all levels of competition, Shannon made the 8 aboard Look Alive (Flying Four Bucking Bulls).
Shannon, who is seeking his career-first berth to the PBR Canada National Finals, netted 10.5 national points and surged from No. 26 to No. 23. He is now within 18.83 points of the Top 20 and a position at the year-end Cup Series event.
Casper (Vold Rodeo/Rafter G Cattle Co.) awaits Shannon in Round 2.
Jake Gardner (Fort St. John, British Columbia) was the only other contender to deliver two qualified rides Friday evening, marked 85 points in both Round 1 and the 5/5 Bucking Battle.
After finishing fourth in Round 1 for his score on Devils Boy (Two Bit Bucking Bulls), Gardner registered a second-place effort in the 5/5 Bucking Battle when he covered Twister Soul (X6 Ranch Bucking Cattle).
Gardner’s flawless effort earned him a combined 18 national points, allowing him to crack the Top 10 in the race for the 2021 PBR Canada Championship.
Now the No. 10-ranked rider in Canada, Gardner trails No. 1 Buttar by 195.83 points.
Gardner will look to continue his ride streak in Round 2 when he faces off against Tractorland.ca (Wild Hoggs/Trevor Williams).
PBR Canada Cup Series action from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and SaskTel Centre will conclude on Saturday, October 30, starting at 7:00 p.m. CST, with Round 2 and the championship round.
PBR Canada Cup Series
PBR Saskatoon Classic
SaskTel Centre – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
(Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
- Callum Miller, 86.5-0-0-86.50
- Cody Coverchuk, 85.5-0-0-85.50
(tie). Dawson Shannon, 85.5-0-0-85.50
- Jake Gardner, 85-0-0-85.00
- Dakota Buttar, 84.5-0-0-84.50
- Dakota Louis, 84-0-0-84.00
- Ashton Sahli, 83.5-0-0-83.50
(tie). Tyler Craig, 83.5-0-0-83.50
- Coy Robbins, 83-0-0-83.00
- Todd Chotowetz, 82.5-0-0-82.50
- Jordan Hansen, 82-0-0-82.00
- Jared Parsonage, 81.5-0-0-81.50
- Tim Lipsett, 81-0-0-81.00
- Nick Tetz, 80-0-0-80.00
- Micheal Ostashek, 79-0-0-79.00
Zane Lambert, 0-0-0-0.00
Garrett Green, 0-0-0-0.00
Aaron Roy, 0-0-0-0.00
Chad Hartman, 0-0-0-0.00
Wacey Finkbeiner, 0-0-0-0.00
Weston Davidson, 0-0-0-0.00
Riley Gagnon, 0-0-0-0.00
Fabian Dueck, 0-0-0-0.00
Nicholas Klinck, 0-0-0-0.00
Dylan Somerville, 0-0-0-0.00
Landon Schmidt, 0-0-0-0.00
Blake Smith, 0-0-0-0.00
PBR Canada Cup Series
PBR Saskatoon Classic – 5/5 Bucking Battle
SaskTel Centre – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Event Leaders (Round 1- Event Aggregate-Event Points)
- Cody Coverchuk, 88.5-88.50-15 Points.
- Jake Gardner, 85-85.00-12 Points.
Dakota Buttar, 0-0.00
Callum Miller, 0-0.00
Dawson Shannon, 0-0.00
