Radford Closes in on No. 1 Richardson After Opening Rounds of 2018 PBR Canadian Finals

By: Kacie Albert  Friday, November 23, 2018 @ 11:51 PM

Edgar Durazo walks through the electric effects of Splash FX in the opening of Round 1 of the 2018 Monster Energy PBR Canadian Finals. Photo by Covy Moore / CovyMoore.com

SASKATOON, Saskatchewan – Throughout the first night of the 2018 PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Monster Energy Canadian Finals, presented by Mac’s/Circle K and Dakota Dunes Casino, fans witnessed 18 qualified rides, including 8-second efforts by the Top 4 ranked riders in the national standings, further intensifying what is arguably the closest race for the PBR Canada Championship in league history. 

Ending the night tied for 11th overall in the event, and earning 2.5 national points, Canadian No. 1 Lachlan Richardson (Gresford, New South Wales, Australia) maintained his ranking atop the standings.

Going 1-for-2, Richardson’s 8-second effort came aboard Smash (Skori Bucking Bulls) in Round 1 for 82.5 points.

Richardson will attempt to make history when the 2018 PBR Canadian Finals conclude Saturday evening inside the SaskTel Centre, as he looks to become the first Australian to win the Canadian national title.

While the 26-year-old is still the No. 1 ranked rider in Canada, Brock Radford (De Winton, Alberta) came heartbreakingly close of regaining the top spot in the standings after he earned 75 points for his fifth-place ride in Round 1.

Radford’s 84-point ride on Snap Shot (Skori Bucking Bulls) allowed him to inch within 22.49 points of Richardson ahead of Round 3.

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Despite riding Playing Chicken (Vold Rodeo) for 83 points in Round 1 to earn 18.33 Canadian points, Cody Coverchuk (Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan) fell to No. 3 in the national standings. While he lost one position in the standings, Coverchuk closed in on the top ranking, now just 67.5 points behind Richardson after starting the night 83.33 points behind the No. 1 spot.

Coverchuk is currently tied for ninth in the overall event aggregate.

Jared Parsonage (Maple Creek, Saskatchewan), second in the event, also continued to hone in on the top spot in the Canadian standings courtesy of his Round 1 win in front of a home province crowd.

The 25-year-old netted 250 Canadian points courtesy of his 86.5-point trip on Hookasaurus (Wild Hoggs Bucking Bulls). While he remains No. 4 in the Canadian national standings, he is now just 212.5 points behind No. 1 Richardson ahead of the final day of action for the 2018 PBR Canada season.

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As the only man to go a flawless 2-for-2 Friday evening, Edgar Durazo (Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico) sits atop the leaderboard after the first two rounds in Saskatoon.

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After tying for the Canadian Finals event win in 2017, Durazo got off to a hot start in Round 1, riding Mighty Moe (Thompson Rodeo Livestock) for 83 points, tied for the seventh best score of the round.

Brining the crowd to its feet, Durazo recorded his second qualified ride of the evening when he made the 8 seconds aboard Spot On (Wilson Rodeo) for 84 points to finish second in Round 2.

For his efforts, Durazo earned 168.33 Canadian points. He is now ranked No. 17 in the national standings, 1721.25 points behind No. 1 Richardson.

Should Durazo maintain his lead through both Round 3 and the championship round, he would join Zane Lambert (Ponoka, Alberta) as the lone two athletes in league history to win the Canadian Finals in multiple seasons.

Third in the event after the first two rounds is two-time Glen Keeley Award winner Dakota Buttar (Kindersley, Saskatchewan).

After concluding the 2018 season as the top ranked Canadian rider in the world standings, Buttar’s first event on home soil since July began on a high note. The 26-year-old covered Funky Cold Medina (Flying High Rodeo Co.) for 85.5 points in Round 1. 

One of the top contenders for this season’s PBR Canada Rookie of the Year title, Daylon Swearingen (Piffard, New York) rode Devour (Vold Rodeo) for 85 points to win Round 2. He enters the event’s third round fourth in the overall aggregate.

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Still the No. 11-ranked rider in the Canadian standings, the American rider honed in on Rookie of the Year standings leader Nick Tetz (Calgary, Alberta), who he now trails by 260.01 points.

Rounding out the Top 5 after the first two rounds of the 2018 PBR Canadian Finals is 2015 PBR Canada Champion Tanner Byrne (Prince Albert, Saskatchewan) and three-time Canadian Champion Aaron Roy (Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan). Both men recorded 84.5-point trips in Round 1, making the 8 aboard Fired Up Freddy (Foley Bucking Bulls) and All Business (Two Bit Bucking Bulls/Hy-Kik Ranch), respectively.

For Roy the finish allowed him to further increase the likelihood of the career milestones his overall performance could allow him to reach. The eight-time PBR World Finals qualifier is poised to make history as both the first four-time Canadian Champion and Canadian-born rider to eclipse $1 million in career earnings.

After beginning the event ranked No. 8, the 112.5 Canadian points propelled Roy to No. 7 in the national standings. He is now 889.99 points behind No. 1 Richardson. 

Byrne also earned 112.5 Canadian points, yet remains No. 19 in the standings ahead of Round 3. He trails Richardson by 1729.99 points.

The 2018 PBR Monster Energy Canadian Finals, presented by Mac’s/Circle K and Dakota Dunes Casino will conclude on Saturday, November 24 at 7:30 p.m. CST with Round 3 and the Championship Round. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at the SaskTel Centre Box Office, online at PBRCanada.com or Ticketmaster.ca, and by phone at 1-800-970-SEAT (7328). Fans purchasing a weekend package with tickets to both shows will receive a 15% discount.

Fans will also be able to watch all the action LIVE on RidePass. The stream will begin on Saturday, November 24 at 7:30 p.m. CST.

2018 PBR Monster Energy Canadian Finals, presented by Mac’s/Circle K and Dakota Dunes Casino

SaskTel Centre – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Round 4-Event Aggregate-Canadian Points)

1. Edgar Durazo, 83-84-0-0-167.00-168.33
2. Jared Parsonage, 86.5-0-0-0-86.50-250
3. Dakota Buttar, 85.5-0-0-0-85.50-150
4. Daylon Swearingen, 0-85-0-0-85.00-250
5. Tanner Byrne, 84.5-0-0-0-84.50-112.5
(tie). Aaron Roy, 84.5-0-0-0-84.50-112.5
7. Brock Radford, 84-0-0-0-84.00-75
8. Zane Lambert, 83.5-0-0-0-83.50-40
9. Cody Coverchuk, 83-0-0-0-83.00-18.33
(tie). Garrett Green, 83-0-0-0-83.00-18.33
11. Thor Hoefer II, 0-82.5-0-0-82.50-112.5
(tie). Nick Tetz, 0-82.5-0-0-82.50-112.5
(tie). Lachlan Richardson, 82.5-0-0-0-82.50-2.5
(tie). Austin Richardson, 82.5-0-0-0-82.50-2.5
15. Marcos Gloria, 82-0-0-0-82.00
(tie). Wyatt Gleeson, 0-82-0-0-82.00-75
17. Dayton Johnston, 0-81-0-0-81.00-40
Todd Chotowetz, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Wacey Finkbeiner, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Logan Biever, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Jake Gardner, 0-0-0-0-0.00

 

2018 PBR Canada Standings

(Place, Rider, Events, Wins, Top 5's, Points, Total Winnings)

  1. Lachlan Richardson, 21, 2, 13, 2,394.99, $38,256.62
  2. Brock Radford, 24, 2, 9, 2,372.50, $38,092.85
  3. Cody Coverchuk, 38, 2, 14, 2,327.49, $31,177.00
  4. Jared Parsonage, 21, 5, 8, 2,182.49, $31,407.93
  5. Lonnie West, 20, 2, 6, 1,725.83, $22,222.42
  6. Marcos Gloria, 20, 2, 5, 1,655.00, $142,189.53
  7. Aaron Roy, 23, 3, 6, 1,505.00, $16,617.75
  8. Nick Tetz, 23, 1, 9, 1,490.00, $20,651.95
  9. Zane Lambert, 23, 1, 7, 1,449.16, $25,482.54
  10. Dayton Johnston, 37, 1, 7, 1,280.00, $19,450.40
  11. Daylon Swearingen, 14, 0, 5, 1,229.99, $12,579.60
  12. Wacey Finkbeiner, 21, 0, 6, 907.50, $13,994.43
  13. Wyatt Gleeson, 29, 1, 5, 895.41, $12,497.04
  14. Koal Livingston, 9, 0, 5, 895.00, $12,810.09
  15. Jake Gardner, 28, 1, 4, 873.33, $12,963.78
  16. Thor Hoefer II, 18, 1, 3, 767.08, $10,585.62
  17. Edgar Durazo, 16, 1, 4, 673.74, $6,606.86
  18. Todd Chotowetz, 10, 1, 4, 673.33, $17,790.48
  19. Tanner Byrne, 9, 1, 3, 665.00, $7,737.93
  20. Logan Biever, 35, 0, 4, 624.99, $7,410.33
  21. Garrett Green, 7, 2, 2, 568.33, $9,039.75
  22. Matt Triplett, 8, 0, 4, 549.16, $7,919.55
  23. Lachlan Slade, 16, 0, 5, 512.50, $6,827.48
  24. Austin Richardson, 6, 1, 1, 502.50, $6,416.48
  25. Dakota Buttar, 6, 1, 2, 470.00, $5,185.51
  26. Justin Lloyd, 13, 0, 2, 395.00, $7,448.58
  27. Tim Lipsett, 23, 0, 4, 380.00, $5,462.78
  28. Juan Carlos Contreras, 13, 1, 1, 355.00, $4,606.45
  29. Chase Outlaw, 4, 1, 1, 320.00, $9,616.13
  30. Jordan Hansen, 8, 0, 2, 290.00, $18,102.35
  31. Justin Paton, 4, 1, 1, 275.00, $5,689.33
  32. Cody Casper, 20, 0, 1, 243.33, $4,522.90
  33. Cole Young, 23, 0, 1, 222.50, $3,055.75
  34. Cody Floyd, 14, 0, 2, 220.00, $2,173.07
  35. Jackson Scott, 9, 0, 1, 211.66, $2,203.20
  36. Stormy Wing, 4, 0, 1, 200.00, $11,757.80
  37. Lawson Nobbs, 6, 0, 1, 195.00, $2,119.05
  38. Andrew Alvidrez, 1, 0, 1, 195.00, $1,879.63
  39. Zac Peterson, 9, 0, 1, 192.50, $2,803.94
  40. Chase Thielen, 19, 0, 1, 175.00, $2,046.89
  41. Kache Moosman, 3, 0, 1, 165.41, $1,794.70
  42. Stetson Lawrence, 3, 0, 2, 160.00, $1,694.48
  43. Wyatt Covington, 5, 0, 2, 160.00, $2,741.25
  44. Klayton Lakevold, 27, 0, 1, 135.00, $1,197.44
  45. Cawl Braithwaite, 4, 0, 1, 115.00, $1,212.31