Chanse Switzer Returns from Injury, Punches Ticket to 2025 PBR Canada National Finals with Strong Showing at Cup Series Event in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

AIRDRIE, Alta. – In the hunt to qualify for the 2025 PBR Canada National Finals, Chanse Switzer was sitting just outside the comfort zone heading into SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for the Cup Series’ regular-season finale on October 24.

But in the same building that helped kickstart his PBR Canada career two years ago, the home province hopeful delivered a flawless 3-for-3 performance to finish third, earning 121 national points and locking in his spot for the year-end event in Edmonton, Alberta.

Switzer has a remarkable track record in Saskatoon. He went 3-for-3 in 2023, 2-for-3 in 2024, and was perfect again this year, a storybook way to punctuate his season.

"It definitely went exactly how I needed it to go, riding perfect three for three," Switzer said. "I was feeling pretty good going into it, even coming off an injury. That always plays a part in kind of slowing a guy down, but it didn't seem to phase me at all there. I felt like I was right back on top and riding like I should be."

That injury, sustained at a Pro Rodeo event in Olds, Alberta, in mid-September, nearly ended his season. Three fractured ribs and a partially collapsed lung kept the 26-year-old sidelined for several weeks.

"It was definitely one injury that I luckily have not sustained before, where it was internal," Switzer explained. "I've had a lot of broken bones in my life. But collapsing a lung and puncturing a hole in it and cracking a few ribs, that was all new to me. It was a bit of an eye-opener. Sometimes as bull riders, we forget just how dangerous this sport can be. But when it all comes down to it, looking over all my injuries over the years, I still would never change a thing."

The recovery process was grueling, both mentally and physically. But Switzer credits his support circle for helping him stay grounded and focused on returning to competition.

"Support-wise, my wife was the biggest supporter, her and my parents," he said. "My family, everyone was always checking in on me, making sure I was doing all right and had everything I needed."

One of his closest friends, two-time PBR Canada Champion Nick Tetz, knew the recovery grind all too well. Tetz missed seven months this season with a broken femur before returning to competition earlier this Fall.

"We talked lots with his injury, not necessarily so much about injuries, just kind of checking up on each other, how we're doing," Switzer said. "After going for a full season the year before, where we were pretty much living with each other on the road, to having to talk on the phone all the time and just kind of shooting the shit, it was a lot different this year. But we kept in good touch and made sure we were both doing all right.

"He checked up on me every few days and made sure I was getting out of the hospital, everything like that. It goes to show all your friends and family, how much support you really have on your shoulders when shit goes south."

Heading into Saskatoon, Switzer admitted he had checked the standings, even if most riders claim not to. With only the Top 18 in the national standings guaranteed a ticket to the PBR Canada National Finals at Rogers Place in Edmonton, every ride mattered.

"There definitely is some pressure that comes up right around this time when there's only a few events left," Switzer said. "You look at the standings and it's like, I don't even know why I look at the standings, because I know I'm going to go out there and do my job the same, whether I'm in or on the bubble or out.

"You just kind of roll with the punches that you get thrown and just got to keep going. Rolling into Saskatoon, I figured I was pretty comfortable where I was at, but I didn't put pressure on myself. I just kind of told myself, you just need to go out there, do your job, be perfect, and it's all going to work out."

And it did.

Rising from No. 14 to No. 11 in the national standings, Switzer credits a timely re-ride in the championship round, and a familiar name behind it, for helping him seal the deal.

Paired with Jim Thompson's Times a Tickin, Switzer made the most of the opportunity, earning 84.5 points for a third-place finish overall.

"I got on a re-ride, but when you see your name go beside a re-ride coming from Jim Thompson, you know it's going to be good," Switzer said. "I was very excited to get on that little yellow bull. That was my first time on him as well."

With his National Finals spot now secure, Switzer hasn't decided whether he'll make the trip to Yorkton, Saskatchewan, next week for the final Touring Pro Division event of the season. But one thing he is certain about. He's ready to make a statement when he rolls into Rogers Place next month.

"I'm going to roll into Rogers about the same as I do every event, whether it's a thousand-dollar rodeo or a $50,000 bull riding," he said. "I'm just going to go out, do my job and have fun riding bulls with my best friends. I've got all my contractor buddies, bullfighter buddies there, and it's going to be a hell of a week."

Last year marked Switzer's first appearance at the PBR Canada National Finals, and the experience left a lasting impression. Under the lights of one of the country's biggest arenas, surrounded by the best riders and bulls in Canada, he said it felt like he had finally arrived.

"Last year was my first year I was there, and we blew the roof off that place," Switzer said. "Whether you're somebody that's a huge bull riding fan already, or if you're a first-timer that's never really seen it or done it, you're definitely not going to want to miss it, because it's going to be even 10 times better this year."

The 2025 PBR Canada National Finals will be held November 14-15 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, where the Top 18 riders in the nation, joined by two special invites, will square off against the country's rankest bulls for the Canadian title.

For Switzer, Saskatoon was more than a comeback, it was a statement. He proved to himself, and everyone else, that he's not just in the mix for Edmonton. He's in it to win it.