The Morning Line – Lethbridge Round 1

LETHBRIDGE, Alta. – Lethbridge, Alberta, stop No. 2 on the PBR Canada Cup Series. One that everyone always looks forward to every year. Lethbridge always seems to have a bunch of great rides, we always seem to have 90s, and we can’t forget about Nick Tetz, he’s been the champion at this event for many years, and look for him to try and keep that momentum rolling.

RELATED: Click here for the complete daysheet.

We’ve got all the top guys. Jake Gardner is coming back from Houston, and from abroad we have the likes of Wacey Schalla. All in, look for a great event.

RELATED: Game Notes – Lethbridge.  

Cody Coverchuk, Dakota Buttar, Aaron Roy, all the wily veterans are going to try and take a stand, and this new rookie class that we have I think is the best that we’ve ever seen.

A bunch of matchups, this is going to be a great event. You’re going to see some rides from Marshall Senger, Stefan Tonita, Dalton Allred, lots of great ones.

Below are my bets for Round 1 of the event from Lethbridge. Let us know your thoughts and your picks for the Cup Series event by tagging @PBRCanada on X.

Tickets are still available and can be purchased online at VisitLethbridgeArena.ca, or charge by phone at (403) 329-7328.

 

Lonnie West vs. Lost Creek

This is a rematch for Lonnie, he previously rode this bull for a great score in the past. Lost Creek is a black-and-white paint form Nansen Vold. Should be around to the left. The one trick that he has, he will switch it up and go back to the right at some point during the ride, whether that is midway through, or right at the end. So Lonnie is going to have to ride the middle, ride the jump. But the thing with this bull is that you have to be pumping and going when he’s going, and going left when he’s going left, because he’s a bucker. This is a bull that I think is going to have a standout year. You might see him in the championship round later on in the year, but look for Lonnie to step up to the plate and get things kicked off with an 87-88-point ride in Lethbridge day one.

Nick Tetz vs. Hanna Motors Stand By You

What a matchup for Tetz. He’s been on this bull before, and this bull got him on the ground. But don’t look for that to happen again. Tetz is on a roll right now, and he’s got his goal set on winning another Championship in Canada. He looked really great in Red Deer, and like I said, he’s always had that success in Lethbridge and there’s just some places that when you walk into the building you’ve got a good feeling, good momentum, and you know it’s going to be good and I think Lethbridge is that spot for Nick. This bull should be around to the right. We saw Jeremy Maisonneuve ride him in Red Deer. Near the end, he will probably come back to the left. He’s an older bull, a veteran bull, looks like he’s just getting pretty good these days, one that the guys will want to get on and ride. Look for Tetz to set himself up with an 84-85 to set himself up good in Lethbridge.

Wacey Schalla vs. Grand Slam

This is a great bull from X6 Legend Rodeo. Should be right in the gate to the right. A lot of action, a lot of jam. One that we’ve seen guys have a lot of success on in the past. We saw Shay Marks get a round win on this bull in Saskatoon. He looks like he should be right up Wacey’s alley, fit his style really well, like most bulls do. This kid is a true sensation in the sport and just a young guy who we look for great things from in the future. Look for himself to set himself up good in Lethbridge with an 86-87-point score, in my opinion, to get his momentum rolling and try to get his first win on the Canadian Cup Series.

Coy Robbins vs. Jet Black

Coy is a guy that’s sneakily made his way into veteran status this day. I always think of him as a young guy, a kid, but this sport ages you fast, and he’s one of the veterans in the locker room, one of the guys that’s been here for a long time and look for him to stepup to the plate and do what he’s done all these year’s that have passed, and that’s win and stay on and be consistent. And this is a great bull that he can do that on. He’s from the Skori firm and should be around to the left. We’ve seen guys get along with this bull and the last few events that he’s been at. Coy’s got to be very happy with this draw, away from his hand. Sit up there and ride him, be 86-87 points, and look for Coy to have a standout year this year and try to push to win that first Canadian Championship.

Jake Gardner vs. Hammer Time

Jake is the same thing, he’s riding the momentum. He got the call to go to Houston the other day and he’s one of those guys that’s going to jump on opportunity every chance that he gets. He hopped on a plane that morning and ended up getting there right before the rodeo started and went 3-for-3 to make it back to the semi-finals. Look for him to keep that momentum rolling, he looked really confident there and look for him to do the same thing in Lethbridge. This is a good bull from the Skoris. Should be out, up-and-down, around to the right, one that Jake should have some fun with, they get along with this bull as well, get a good score to set himself up to try and win that Lethbridge championship as well as a Canadian Championship. It’s going to be exciting to watch these guys this year. We have some of the best bull riders that I have seen in Canada in a long time and they all have their sights set on that $100,000 bonus, and it’s cool to see how PBR Canada is growing and the guys commitment to it. So look for Jake to have some fun, be wild and western. Cowboy Jake should get 86-87 points on this one.