Hansen Excited for Global Cup Debut in Arlington

WINNIPEG, Manitoba – When Jordan Hansen climbs atop his first draw on February 9 inside AT&T Stadium for the first-ever PBR Global Cup on U.S. soil, it will be a moment two years in the making.

Despite being selected to the contingent for both the Edmonton and Sydney event, the Okotoks, Alberta native has been unable to compete, first due to a scheduling conflict with the CFR (Canadian Finals Rodeo) and then injury.

RELATED: CPRA Champion Jordan Hansen Added to Team Canada for 2019 PBR Global Cup USA

“It’s been a few years in the making,” Hansen remarked.  “I’ve been invited for all three of them, but this will be the first time I actually get to go and compete at it.

“I’m definitely looking forward to it. It was a definitely a bummer last year getting the call from the doctor two weeks before and said I couldn’t go anywhere. But now I am actually feeling healthy, so I am looking forward to it. “

Hansen was most recently sidelined by a broken vertebrae and hip.

RELATED: Finkbeiner to Replace Hansen on Team Canada

“It sucked,” Hansen stated. “Like someone shooting you in the foot with a nail gun probably.

“It sucked, but I mean its part of it though, the sport comes with injuries, so it’s part of it. You can’t really do much about it. It sucked watching, but I was still cheering for those guys everyday that’s for sure.”

In addition to sidelining him from the Global Cup, it limited the number of events he was able to attend throughout the entire season. In 2018, Hansen rode at just seven PBR Canada events, attending an additional three on U.S. soil, including two premier series events.

In his place, reigning CPRA Champion Wacey Finkberiner competed for Team Canada who ended up finishing Third, trailing event winners Team Brazil by a mere 19.75 points.

RELATED: Team Canada Third at PBR Global Cup in Sydney

While the end finish was the same for the Canuck contingent when compared to their performance in Edmonton, it was a much closer race in the aggregate. At the inaugural event in Edmonton, Team Canada finished 188.25 points behind event winners Team USA.

RELATED: Team Canada Third at Inaugural PBR Global Cup in Edmonton

Heading into the first-ever Global Cup on U.S. Soil, the contingent will look near identical to the Team Canada from Sydney, with Hansen set to be the lone new comer.

RELATED: AT&T Stadium in Arlington to Host PBR Global Cup

“I think we’ve got a pretty good team,” Hansen declared. “I mean, like Brock, it would have been nice to have him on there too, because I think he definitely could have helped us out, but event without him I think we’ve got a pretty solid team, that’s for sure.”

With Hansen the newest add to the team, fans will also watch Coach Aaron Roy may history as the first rider to both coach and compete. On the roster they fill the positions of Radford, sidelined by knee surgery, and Justin Lloyd.

The remainder of the team includes: Dakota Buttar, Tanner Byrne, Zane Lambert, Jared Parsonage, Lonnie West and alternate Finkbeiner.

“There’s a lot of good riders and a lot of consistent guys on the team,” Hansen continued. “Man I hope everyone just shows up, including myself. If everyone shows up riding good and staying consistent and just ride everything that they run underneath us.”

Awaiting Hansen is the event’s unique format where riders compete for national pride as opposed to individual glory. The shift, however, is what excites Hansen about the upcoming event.

“I think that’s going to be the biggest thing I’m looking forward to,” he said of the team format. “This is the first time ever not riding bulls for yourself, it’s a whole team event, and a totally different atmosphere. A lot of the time you are cheering for your buddies, but not as much as yourself.

“So this is where you’re cheering for your buddies just as much, if not more, than yourself.”

With the event less than three weeks away, Hansen’s 2019 season is in full swing, with one win already on his resume.

RELATED: Hansen Starts 2019 on a Winning Note

As one of four riders to go a perfect 2-for-2, the 25-year-old won the first Canadian Touring Pro Division event of the year in Dawson Creek, British Columbia.

Hansen has also already competed stateside, finishing 14^th at the National Western Stock Show.

Collectively, he’s 3-for-6 with a 50% riding average.

Next on the docket for the 2016 CPRA Champion is the season-launch Canadian Monster Energy Tour event in Winnipeg, Manitoba on Saturday, January 26 at 7:00 p.m. CT.

“We’ll be there for sure.”

Tickets are still available and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.ca or the Bell MTS Place Box Office. Fans can also tune into RidePass to watch all the action from the Winnipeg Classic LIVE.