A Win in Brandon, Manitoba in 2024 Sparked a Shift for Weston Davidson — Now He's Charging Ahead

AIRDRIE, Alta. – Weston Davidson is a PBR Canada event winner and a mainstay on the nation’s elite Cup Series.

The Saskatchewan man earned his first victory at just 21 years old in Bowden, Alberta, in 2022, and hasn’t gone a season since without adding at least one win to his résumé.

But it was in Brandon, Manitoba, last year where Davidson truly broke through, capturing his career first Cup Series event victory, a crucial springboard to punching his ticket to the 2024 PBR Canada National Finals in November.

Already victorious this season at a Touring Pro Division stop in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, the now 23-year-old is enjoying a career-best season, riding high as he prepares to return to the venue where it all changed for him.

Coming into last year’s Brandon event, Davidson admitted he had lost some of his spark after a discouraging stint competing south of the border on the PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour. 

“I did all right, plucked away at it for a few events, but I expected myself to do better down there and didn’t win as much either,” Davidson said. “It gets expensive in the States, so I was getting a little bit broke. By the time I came home, I was thinking about working and not really focusing as much on bull riding.”

That mindset carried into Brandon—at least at first.

“I wasn’t even really focused on bull riding when Brandon came up,” Davidson added. “There was just something about that weekend. You have that feeling. I knew I was going to win there. I knew I was going to ride both my bulls, and the rest would take care of itself. That’s just what happened.”

The win reignited Davidson’s love for the sport and instilled a confidence that’s carried into 2025.

“That win in Brandon helped my confidence a lot and made me feel more comfortable at the top level in Canada.

“At the lower events, it helped me feel like I should be riding those long round bulls, and then just making it click in the short round, too,” he added. “Believing in yourself is big. Everything came together, and I really found some momentum.”

Davidson also noted a noticeable rise in the overall level of competition since his rookie year in 2021, crediting the deeper talent pool and a shared hunger to succeed.

“Right after COVID, if you were north of four or five seconds, you were almost making the short round just on time,” Davidson recalled. “Nowadays, if you’re not riding, you’re not making the short round. Especially this year, guys have turned it on.”

Davidson believes part of the uptick in performance is the inspiration riders have taken from recent standout seasons, particularly Nick Tetz’ 2024 campaign.

“I think seeing Nick win $150,000 just in Edmonton and $250,000 last year flipped the switch. Just looking at everyone’s riding percentages, it’s gone up a lot this year. People are hungry. You can really make a good living riding bulls in Canada.”

When asked to describe his most vivid memory from last year’s Brandon win, Davidson said it’s a feeling that only another bull rider could truly understand.

“Stepping off that short round bull, it was just a big sigh of relief. I believed in myself and getting him rode in the short round made it all click,” he said. “It was a sold-out crowd, they were going insane. You can’t explain or beat a feeling like that.”

Now, his passion for bull riding is back in full force. While Brandon holds special significance for him, Davidson says he’s just excited to get on the road and chase down the next opportunity.

“I’m just super stoked to be going to a bull riding. I love going to all of them, but especially Brandon,” he said. “I definitely want to go back-to-back, that’s for sure. It’s a two-day event this year too. Brandon’s always a good show, it’s a good party there.”

And for Davidson, he considers Brandon almost a hometown event.

“I feel like this one’s a hometown for me. I’m closer than everyone else from Saskatchewan, and it’s just fun going out to all these bull ridings.”

When the Mazergroup Chute Out begins this Friday at Westoba Place at the Keystone Centre, Davidson has one message for those still undecided on their weekend plans.

“Especially if you’ve never been to one, it’s nothing like a rodeo,” he said. “It’s a rock show. It’s action-packed. If you like western sports, animals, or adrenaline, you’ve got to come out and see it. You won’t miss another one after that, that’s for sure.”

Tickets are still available and can be purchased at the Westoba Place at the Keystone Centre Box Office and online at Ticketmaster.ca.