Game Notes – Medicine Hat

TIME TO TAKEOVER THE HAT – This weekend, for the third time in history, PBR Canada’s elite Cup Series, presented by Wrangler, will buck into Medicine Hat, Alberta. The PBR Medicine Hat Classic, presented Art’s Excavating, the eighth elite tour event of the season, will be held at Co-op Place on Oct. 14. Action will begin at 7:00 p.m. MDT on Saturday, Oct. 14.

RELATED: Click here for the complete Medicine Hat Game Notes.

THIS WEEKEND’S FORMAT – The PBR Medicine Hat Classic, presented by Art’s Excavating will feature two rounds of bull riding and is a Tier 1 Challenger Series Global event. Each rider will get on one bull in Round 1 on Saturday. The Top 10 bull riders will then advance to the championship round later that evening, where they will attempt one final bull in an effort to be crowned the event champion. This weekend, one rider will have the chance to earn 120 national points in the main event, in addition to ride score points.

INJURY UPDATE – This weekend in Medicine Hat, Alberta, two of the riders ranked inside the nation’s Top 3 will be sidelined due to injury – No. 1 Dakota Buttar and No. 3 Nick Tetz. Following his event-winning ride two weeks ago in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Buttar sustained a broken collarbone during his dismount atop Chico. The injury will sideline Buttar upwards of six weeks, keeping him out of PBR competition until the National Finals in Edmonton, Alberta. For No. 3 Tetz, he sustained a fractured shoulder blade this past weekend while riding for the Arizona Ridge Riders in the separate PBR Teams League when he hit the ground after 6.61 seconds atop Flyin Wired. While the injury will keep Tetz out of action for the 2023 PBR Teams Championship in Las Vegas Oct. 20-22, he is anticipated to be back in competition form for the final regular-season Cup Series, presented by Wrangler, event of the year in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Oct. 28-29. Their absence opens the door for No. 2 Cody Coverchuk to not only put more distance between himself and No. 3 Tetz, but also overtake No. 1 Buttar for the top spot. Coverchuk currently leads No. 3 Tetz by 11.16 points and is only 10.84 points behind No. 1 Buttar. As competition gets underway in Medicine Hat, Coverchuk will first attempt Split Trigger in Round 1.

ROBBINS RIDES RED-HOT IN SEARCH OF FIRST NATIONAL TITLE – At the most recent Cup Series, presented by Wrangler, event of the year in Grande Prairie, Alberta, 2017 PBR Canada Rookie of the Year Coy Robbins made his presence known. Going 2-for-3, Robbins finished third in the main event. The Camrose-native surged to an early lead in Round 1, delivering the top score when he rode Jail Break for 87.5 points. Not looking back, Robbins then delivered his second round winning score when he outlasted Times A Tickin for 88.5 points in the final round. Leading the event ahead of the final round, Robbins elected to attempt The Remedy as he looked to clinch his first Cup Series win. Robbins, however, was no match for the bull, brought down in 4.11 seconds. Earlier in the event, Robbins was the final rider to convert in the accompanying 5/5 Bucking Battle. He finished third in the special round via an 82-point ride aboard Disco Daze. Robbins’ 3-for-4 showing earned him 107 national points. Remaining No. 4 in the intense 2023 PBR Canada Championship battle, Robbins is now 63.84 points back of No. 1 Buttar. Robbins has been one of the most consistent competitors on Canadian soil this season. He’s gone 23-for-43 to hold a torrid 67.65% riding average. Keen to continue his momentum and gain further ground in the national standings, Robbins will attempt Run It Up in Round 1 of the PBR Medicine Hat Classic, presented by Art’s Excavating.

CAN ROY MAKE IT FOUR? – This season, veteran contender Aaron Roy is attempting to accomplish a feat never before achieved on Canadian soil – become a four-time PBR Canada Champion. Currently ranked No. 5 in the nation, 155 points behind a sidelined No.1 Dakota Buttar, Roy is poised to do just that. At the most recent Cup Series, presented by Wrangler, event of the year in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Roy finished fourth. The Saskatchewan man rode Crazy Little Thing for 86 points in Round 1, and Night Stalker for 86.5 points in Round 2, before being brought down by Superstition in 5.77 seconds in the championship round. Roy’s efforts garnered him 55 national points, solidifying his No. 5 rank in the nation. Keen to continue his upward path, Roy will climb aboard a familiar foe in Hanna Motors Sure Shot as action gets underway in Medicine Hat, Alberta.

PAST MEDICINE HAT EVENT WINNERS – Last season in Medicine Hat, Brock Radford went a perfect 2-for-2 to win the PBR Medicine Hat Classic, and surge to No. 3 in the heated battle to be crowned the 2022 PBR Canada Champion. Radford got off to an electric start in Round 1, delivering the fourth-best score when he conquered Devils Dues for 84.5 points. In the championship round, Radford earned his second score when he remained in perfect time with Look At This Dude, reaching the requisite 8 for 85 points to clinch the victory. The golden finish garnered Radford a crucial 65 national points. He surged from No. 7 to No. 3 in the nation, climbing within a mere 40 points of the top spot.

Nick Tetz parlayed his own 2-for-2 effort inside Co-op Place into a runner-up finish, overtaking Logan Biever for the No. 1 rank in the Canadian standings. The 2018 PBR Canada Rookie of the Year first put points on the board in Round 1 when he covered Super Fly for 82.5 points. In the championship round, Tetz covered Bustin Rhymes for 86.5 points to win the round and capture the podium finish. The silver showing garnered Tetz a much-needed 57 national points. After traveling to Medicine Hat No. 2 in Canada, 54.5 points behind the top-ranked rider, Tetz surged to the No. 1 position in the nation.

PBR Canada’s elite Cup Series, presented by Wrangler debuted in Medicine Hat in 2021, when two-time PBR Canada Champion Zane Lambert went a perfect 2-for-2 to win the tour stop and surge to No. 2 in the national standings. Lambert, began his outing inside Co-op Place in successful fashion, recording the sixth-best score of Round 1 when he covered Bob Rock for 83 points. The qualified ride avenged Lambert’s lone buckoff from his victory in Lethbridge, Alberta, earlier that season, when the Skori Bucking Bulls’ bovine athlete got the better of him in a swift 1.84 seconds during Round 2 inside ENMAX Centre. In the championship round bull draft on Saturday night, Lambert once again elected to go head-to-head against a familiar opponent, drafting Lil’ Hooch. The Ponoka-native covered the bull for 87.5 points in mid-August en route to a runner-up finish at the Touring Pro Division event in Coronation, Alberta. Fast forward three months, and Lambert once again made the requisite 8, this time marked a championship round-best, and event victory-clinching, 86.5 points. Lambert’s flawless finish earned him a crucial 68 national points. After travelling to Medicine Hat ranked No. 4 in the nation, the 35-year-old surged to No. 2 in the race for the 2021 PBR Canada Championship.

In 2019, the PBR debuted in the Alberta city, hosting a stop on the developmental Touring Pro Division. As one of two riders to deliver a perfect performance, Dakota Buttar captured his second PBR Canada event win of the season. Buttar’s evening began strong in Round 1, recording the second highest marks when he reached the 8-second whistle aboard Broken Trigger for 85 points. Continuing the momentum, the then 26-year-old remained flawless in Medicine Hat when he recorded the high-marked ride of the event, scored 88.5 points on Spooky Lukie in the championship round. For his efforts, Buttar earned 320 Canadian points, propelling him from No. 12 to No.5 in the standings.

2022: Brock Radford
2021: Zane Lambert
2019: Dakota Buttar

FAMILIAR WATERS – Round 1 of the PBR Medicine Hat Classic, presented by Art’s Excavating, will feature five rematches. Those riders facing familiar opponents are:

• Three-time PBR Canada Champion Aaron Roy will look to finally crack the code atop Hanna Motors Sure Shot having bucked off the powerful animal athlete in their four prior meetings. The duo first mat in September 2021 when Hanna Motors Sure Shot got the better of Roy in 4.05 seconds at the Touring Pro Division event in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. More than a year later, Sure Shot continued to best Roy, tossing him in a quick 2.61 seconds at the Cup Series event in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Thus far in 2023, the pair of athletes have danced twice, with both meetings being won by Hanna Motors Sure Show. Meeting in back-to-back days at the June Touring Pro Division event in Elk Ridge, Saskatchewan, Roy nearly covered the bull before being tossed in 7.6 seconds, to only be routed in 2.75 seconds the very next day.
• Callum Miller will look to even the score against Jojo’s Mojo. In July 2023 the bull bested Miller in 4.81 seconds at the Touring Pro Division event in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan.
• Cauy Schmidt will face off against Wild Feathers for the second time in his career. In their first showdown, Wild Feathers tossed Schmidt in 2.48 seconds during the Touring Pro Division event in Czar Lake, Alberta.
• Chad Hartman will see revenge atop High Voltage. This past July, the powerful bovine bucked off Hartman in a close 7.65 seconds during the Touring Pro Division event in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan.
• Jake Maher is the final contender to have draw a familiar opponent. In June 2023 at the Touring Pro Division event in Humboldt, Saskatchewan, Night Stalker tossed Maher in a quick 2.22 seconds.

NEXT UP – The 2023 PBR Canada Sup Series, presented by Wrangler, will next travel to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and SaskTel Centre for the PBR Saskatoon Classic, presented by Redhead Equipment and Case IH. Marking the final Cup Series event of the regular season, competition will begin on Saturday, October 28 at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, October 29 at 2:00 p.m. MT.  

PROVIDING PROTECTION – The bullfighters on hand for this weekend’s event in Medicine Hat, Alberta, are Tanner Byrne, Brett Monea and Ty Prescott.  

2023 5/5 BUCKING BATTLE SCHEDULE AND RESULTS - Each 5/5 Bucking Battle features the Top 5 riders from the event following Round 1 competing against the five highest-ranked bulls at the event for extra bonus points and an additional purse. Here are the winners of the special rounds thus far in 2023:

March 3 in Lethbridge, Alberta | Coy Robbins, 89.5 points on Positively Bangin
September 30 in Grande Prairie, Alberta | Wyatt Gleeson, 89 points on Times A Tickin

MEDICINE HAT COMPETITORS BY COUNTRY

Australia (3) – Cody Fraser, Jake Maher, Callum Miller

Canada (16) –Cody Coverchuk, Tyler Craig, Weston Davidson, Jake Gardner, Wyatt Gleeson, Garrett Green, Jordan Hansen, Chad Hartman, Kade McDonald, Micheal Ostashek, Jared Parsonage, Brock Radford, Coy Robbins, Aaron Roy, Cauy Schmidt, Stefan Tonita

United States (4) – Cole Brewer, Jake Dunham, Conner Halverson, Dakota Louis

BREAKDOWN BY PROVINCE –

Alberta – Tyler Craig, Wyatt Gleeson, Garrett Green, Jordan Hansen, Micheal Ostashek, Brock Radford, Coy Robbins, Cauy Schmidt; British Columbia – Jake Gardner; Cody Coverchuk, Weston Davidson, Chad Hartman, Kade McDonald, Jared Parsonage, Aaron Roy, Stefan Tonita.