Ashton Sahli Looks to Rebound and Ride into the PBR Canada National Finals

AIRDRIE, Alta. – This weekend marked the final regular season event on the 2025 PBR Canada schedule. While the top of the standings are secure, a handful of riders were on the bubble, still jockeying for that critical 18th and final spot.

Among them was veteran campaigner Ashton Sahli, who travelled to Yorkton, Saskatchewan, for the Touring Pro Division event 18.5 points behind then cutoff-holder Weston Davidson.

By the numbers, this has been the most challenging season of Sahli's career.

Hampered by nagging injuries, the Alberta-raised bull rider found himself in a must-ride scenario, with a berth to the PBR Canada National Finals in Edmonton, Alberta, at Rogers Place on the line.

"2025 was definitely a very humbling year in my career so far," Sahli said.

"I battled some injuries, some stuff early in the spring, a few concussions, and just some nagging things that weren't letting me be my usual self through most of the summer. I opted to take a little over a month off in the later part of the season and tried to get myself feeling as good as a guy can. I'm ready to come out firing in Yorkton, and then we'll see you next week in Edmonton."

Sahli opened the 2024 Finals in spectacular fashion, leaving Rogers Place as the event leader after covering his first two bulls. But his momentum was abruptly halted when he broke his leg on his third out of the weekend.

Despite the setback, Sahli, who boasts four career event wins and a 2025 PBR World Finals qualification, has never been one to dwell on the past. Instead, he entered this past weekend's competition in Yorkton focused on staying healthy and covering his bulls.

"Last time I went out to Yorkton, I walked away with a trophy for myself. So that's the plan again, just another weekend. I've got three or four bulls to ride, and that's all I can do."

Known for being at his best when he's busy, Sahli said that part of his recovery included getting back to a regular rhythm in the practice pen.

"I took some time off this fall to give myself a break and get my mind back where it needed to be," he explained.

"I find I always do better the more bulls I get on. So I've been going up to Jim Thompson's the past few weeks, getting on practice bulls during our weekends off."

Though bull riding is ultimately an individual sport, camaraderie remains a vital part of the locker room culture. Riders compete fiercely, but many are close friends — and for Sahli, that meant potentially knocking his friend Davidson out of National Finals contention.

Still, Sahli says that friendship and competition can coexist.

"It doesn't change anything at all. Weston is a real good buddy of mine, and I'm sure he'd say the same about me. It's not a team sport. Bull riding is an individual deal. Sure, we're all competing for the same thing, but the main task is riding the bulls that are run underneath us," Sahli said.

"All me or Weston can do is our job, stay on everything, and then see where the chips fall in the end."

Despite the ups and downs of 2025, Sahli is reflective and grateful. One of the biggest highlights of his season came in the spring, when he made his first appearance at the PBR World Finals in Fort Worth, Texas.

"I'm definitely very thankful I got the opportunity to go to Fort Worth for my first World Finals," he said.

"It didn't go the way I wanted or the way you'd hope, but it taught me some new things about the sport, what it takes to compete at the level of the best of the best. I'd say 2025 was more of a learning year for me."

Chasing his fourth PBR Canada National Finals qualification, Sahli says the Edmonton event is where every Canadian bull rider wants to be, and where fans should want to be too.

"I don't think there's anything better. It's bucking bulls, cowboys, loud music, fireworks. It's just an all-around, very intense, crazy atmosphere for a bull rider," Sahli said.

"And to be a spectator, I mean, it's probably just as intense. For some guys, I think it'd be more nerve-wracking to be in the chutes than in the stands. I'd say it's like a rock concert on steroids."