Cody Coverchuk Goes from Sidelined by Injury to Championship Favorite with Cup Series Win in Grande Prairie, Alberta

AIRDRIE, Alta. – After tearing his groin during the PBR Canada Touring Pro Division event in Lacombe, Alberta, this past July, championship favourite Cody Coverchuk is back and winning with the 2024 PBR Canada Championship now firmly back in his sights.

In his first event back in late September, Coverchuk went a perfect 3-for-3 to win the Cup Series event in Grande Prairie, Alberta.

While he travelled to Bonnetts Energy Centre No. 2 in the nation, trailing then No. 1 Nick Tetz by 3 points, the win reinstated his position atop the PBR Canada national standings, as he leap-frogged Tetz by 105 points.

“I knew I put in the work, but the mental side still gets you,” Coverchuk said of his return “What if I can't do this, what if I rip the rest of my groin? It’s almost like I was mentally sore after that first one, trying to compensate for expectations. I don’t know why, it was a mental block I had to get by.”

“It can be hard to get by. It scared me,” Coverchuk continued. “It made me realize how important the body is, this is a young man’s sport, and I am getting a little long in the tooth. I love the sport, and I love the camaraderie around it, but I love dollars, too, and that is a big driving force right now for me. The money that PBR has been putting up is huge.”

Coverchuk has been healthy most of his career, rarely sidelined for more than an event or two. He said the moment he turned 30 earlier this year, that has completely changed.  His groin injury connected him with Acumen Performance, a one-stop-shop for any athlete to come and rehabilitate injuries or simply strengthen for performance under the supervision of professionals.

“They are life-changing honesty,” Coverchuk said of the skilled teams at Acumen Performance. “I worked hard when I was young and got on lots of bulls. Since I was 18, it was always easy, I have always just been in bull riding shape. But since I have turned 30 it’s different. We were in Lethbridge on my birthday in March, and the very next day after turning 30 I hit a brick wall. I had never been sore before.”

“I will get on 3-4 bulls a weekend, and I would need a full week to recoup,” Coverchuk added. “Working with Acumen has turned that around. I didn’t know how long I would ride bulls. Now I have that fire, they are life changing. They are everything to me, I will never not go to Acumen for the remainder of my career.”

Coverchuk admitted that while the physical side of regaining confidence and strength was difficult, it was the mental side of the game that proved most challenging.

"This sport is unlike any other sport in the world. You can be the best one day and at the bottom the next. It’s mental warfare in rodeo and bull riding, every day. You can feel sorry for yourself, but it really doesn't matter. Nobody cares. If it’s not me, it’s somebody else, they will move on and make another star. I try to take that to heart, I want to do the best I can as long as I can. Feeling sorry for yourself doesn't get you anywhere.”

“You have to love the buildup, the grind,” Coverchuk added. “I love grinding it out now. Showing up to a bull riding knowing you are going to win. Having that confidence has changed a lot for me the last couple of years. My riding percentage went way up being confident. Now Acumen and working with them. The world is my oyster right now.”

With two Cup Series events, including the final Major of the season in Saskatoon, and a Touring Pro Division event remaining for the 2024 regular season, Coverchuk said these final events will be pedal to the metal because Tetz is riding just as good.

“Nick has always been good, and he is always right there,” Coverchuk said of his chief competitor for the 2024 PBR Canada Championship and accompanying $100,000 bonus. “He can win this, I can win there, there are still a few of us. We have a little cushion. Going forward I don't expect Nick to fall off. He can ride anything any given day.”

“I just need to keep my head down and keep matching him 8 seconds for 8 seconds. He is riding great, it’s going to be a fun race.”

That race next turns to Co-op Place in Medicine Hat, Alberta, for a one-day Cup Series event on October 19.

After having a few weeks off following his win in Grande Prairie, Coverchuk said that with a lot of hungry and healthy bull riders heading to Co-op Place, it’s an event not to be missed.

“It is going to be a great show,” Coverchuk concluded. “Medicine Hat always brings great bulls. If you want to see the best live show in the world, get your tickets and come check us out. Lots of good scores and an even better time.”