Game Notes – Lethbridge

BRINGING BULL POWER TO THE BRIDGE CITY – This weekend, for the seventh consecutive season, PBR Canada’s elite Cup Series will buck into Lethbridge, Alberta. The PBR South Country Co-op Showdown, the second elite tour event of the season, will be held at VisitLethbridge.com Arena on February 28-March 1. The Lethbridge event will begin Friday, February 28 and Saturday, March 1 at 7 p.m. MT.

RELATED: Click here for the complete Lethbridge Game Notes.

THIS WEEKEND’S FORMAT – The PBR South Country Co-op Showdown will feature three rounds of bull riding and is a Tier 1 Velocity Global event. Each rider will get on one bull in Round 1 on Friday and Round 2 on Saturday. Round 1 will be set by a random draw, Round 2 will be determined by draft. The 10 bull riders with the best combined scores will then advance to the championship round on Saturday, 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 140 national points in the main event, in addition to ride score points.

BUTTAR STRIKES GOLD IN RED DEER – At the 2025 season-launch PBR Canada Cup Series event in Red Deer, Alberta, Dakota Buttar showed up and showed out, going a perfect 2-for-2 to win the Red Deer Classic and overtake the No. 1 rank in the race for the 2025 PBR Canada Championship and accompanying $100,000 bonus. Buttar got off to a quick start inside Peavey Mart Centrium. He delivered the second-best score of Round 1 when he topped Pay Day for 86 points. With the second selection in the championship round bull draft, Buttar architected a showdown with More or Less, a decision which proved dividends. Remaining in perfect time with the powerful animal athlete, Buttar reached the whistle for an event-best 87 points, proving enough to clinch the win. The golden finish garnered Buttar a crucial 126 national points. He rose from unranked to No. 1 in the Canadian standings, now 43 points ahead of No. 2 Jordan Hansen. Chasing his record tying third national title this November, Buttar will take on Tombstone during Round 1 of competition in Lethbridge.

HANSEN PUTS THE FIELD ON NOTICE – Veteran contender Jordan Hansen made his presence known in Red Deer, Alberta, at the season-launch PBR Canada Cup Series event, delivering a perfect 2-for-2 performance to vault to No. 2 in the race for the 2025 Canadian Championship. After riding Wicked Water for 84.5 points in Round 1, Hansen conquered Slash Tide for 85.5 points in the championship round. Seeking his first PBR Canada Championship this November, Hansen earned 83 national points and is now within 43 points of No. 1 Buttar. He will look to gain ground in Lethbridge when he first takes on Sober Child in Round 1 inside VisitLethbridge.com Arena.

SAYING GOODBYE TO TWO BIT BUCKING BULLS – This weekend in Lethbridge, Alberta, the PBR Canada family will sendoff a legendary bucking stock outfit, as the Two Bit Bucking Bulls firm prepares to step away from competition. Under the guidance of Josh and Tamara Berezay, Two Bit Bucking Bulls made history in 2021 when legendary bovine athlete Happy Camper became the first-ever, two-time PBR Canada Bull of the Year. Happy Camper was also twice crowned the Bull of the PBR Canada National Finals. The outfit’s lineup also included 2020 PBR Canada Bull of the Year Catch My Drift and 2012 PBR Canada Bull of the National Finals Bucking Fantastic. Two Bit Bucking Bulls’ final out will be made by Langham Kid, who has propelled countless riders to titles, set to buck in the championship round inside VisitLethbridge.com Arena.

PAST LETHBRIDGE EVENT WINNERS – When the Cup Series last travelled to Lethbridge in March 2024, Nick Tetz showed up and showed out, going a perfect 3-for-3 to win the event. The win marked Tetz’ fourth consecutive Cup Series victory in Lethbridge, having now won every event in the city since 2022. Marking his debut on Canadian soil in 2024, Tetz, who rides for the Arizona Ridge Riders in the separate PBR Teams league, first put points on the board in Round 1 when he bested Lord Fear for 79 points. Tetz then climbed the leaderboard in Round 2 when he topped Irish Car Bomb for 85 points. In the championship round bull draft, Tetz elected to go head-to-head with Grand Funk. In a decision which proved dividends, Tetz remained in perfect time with the powerful animal athlete, reaching the requisite 8 with ease. Marked an event-best 89 points, the ride clinched the event win for Tetz. The golden finish garnered Tetz a crucial 130 national points. He rose from unranked to then No. 4 in the race for the 2024 PBR Canada Championship, inching within 186.5 points of No. 1 Cody Coverchuk. The win was one of an unprecedented 12 event victories for Tetz, including the National Finals, en route to being crowned the 2024 PBR Canada Champion. Tetz, who first won the PBR Canada Championship in 2022, is now one of just five multi-time PBR Canada Champions in history. During the season, Tetz won a historic $249,622.29 on home soil. Tetz will travel to this weekend’s event in Lethbridge ranked No. 14 in Canada, 107 points behind current No. 1 Dakota Buttar. Tetz has drawn Hanna Motors Broken Halo in Round 1.

2024 Nick Tetz
2023 Nick Tetz
2022 Nick Tetz
2022 Nick Tetz
2021 Zane Lambert
2020 Garrett Green
2020 Brock Radford/Ty Ellis
2020 Dakota Buttar
2019 Jared Parsonage

FAMILIAR WATERS – Round 1 of the PBR South Country Co-op Showdown will feature five rematches. Those riders facing familiar opponents are:

• Nick Tetz will look to remain perfect aboard Hanna Motors Broken Halo. Tetz has attempted the bull twice prior, making the whistle both times. The two first danced at the June 2023 Touring Pro Division event in Elk Ridge Resort, Saskatchewan, with Tetz awarded 88.5 points. Most recently they squared off in July 2024 at the developmental event in Calgary, with Tetz conquering Hanna Motors Broken Halo for 87 points.
• Aaron Roy will attempt to log his second qualified ride in as many attempts on Teeka. The three-time PBR Canada Champion rode the bull for 85 points in September 2022 at the Canadian Cup Series event in Grande Prairie, Alberta.
• Garrett Green will seek to reverse his fortunes on Hanna Motors Sure Shot. During the 2021 PBR Canada National Finals in Edmonton, Alberta, the bull tossed Green in 5.43 seconds.
• Tyler Craig will look to even the score with Black Jack. At the November 2022 Touring Pro Division event in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, the powerful animal athlete upended Craig in a quick 1.94 seconds.
• Eric O’Flynn see his name next to Hashtag’s for the second time. While this will be their second meeting, their first did not leave the chutes with Flynn awarded a re-ride.

NEXT UP – Following a near two-month break, the 2025 PBR Canada Sup Series will next travel to Brandon, Manitoba, and Keystone Centre for the PBR Mazergroup Chute Out on Friday, May 23 and Saturday, May 24. Action will get underway nightly at 7 p.m. CST.   

PROVIDING PROTECTION – The bullfighters on hand for this weekend’s event in Lethbridge, Alberta, are Jesse Byrne, Tanner Byrne and Brett Monea.

 

LETHBRIDGE COMPETITORS BY COUNTRY

Australia (1) – Cody Fraser

Brazil (2) – Rafael Parra, Jerson Arantes

Canada (25) – William Barrows, Logan Biever, Dakota Buttar, Cody Coverchuk, Tyler Craig, Weston Davidson, Tanner Eno, Jake Gardner, Garrett Green, Jordan Hansen, Dayton Johnston, Griffin Koester, Jett Lambert, Eric O’Flynn, Jared Parsonage, Lonnie Phillips, Brock Radford, Coy Robbins, Aaron Roy, Ashton Sahli, Carter Sahli, Cauy Schmidt, Chanse Switzer, Nick Tetz, Lonnie West

BREAKDOWN BY PROVINCE –

Alberta – William Barrows, Logan Biever, Tyler Craig, Tanner Eno, Garrett Green, Jordan Hansen, Dayton Johnston, Griffin Koester, Jett Lambert, Brock Radford, Coy Robbins, Ashton Sahli, Carter Sahli, Cauy Schmidt, Nick Tetz, Lonnie West;  British Columbia – Jake Gardner, Eric O’Flynn, Lonnie Phillips; Saskatchewan – Dakota Buttar, Cody Coverchuk, Weston Davidson, Jared Parsonage, Aaron Roy, Chanse Switzer.