The Bulls are Back in Town

By: Kacie Albert  Wednesday, January 17, 2018 @ 6:00 AM

Brady Sims rides Heaven's Basement to win Calgary's PBR Monster Energy Tour stop in 2016. PBR Canada photo by Covy Moore /CovyMoore.com

CALGARY, Alberta – For the second time, PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Canada will buck back into Calgary, Alberta, on Saturday, March 24, with its cross-Canada, nationally televised Monster Energy Tour, presented by Mac’s/Circle K (MET) event at the Agrium Events Centre. 

The MET features Canada’s elite, alongside some of the league’s top international athletes, squaring off against the rankest bucking bulls from both Canada and the United States. Fans will witness exhilarating 8-second rides and wrecks throughout the action-packed event as the PBR’s courageous riders face off against their 2,000-pound opponents.

Missouri’s Brady Sims won the inaugural event in 2016, delivering an 86.5-point ride on Shot of Whiskey in Round 1 and an 89-point trip aboard Heaven’s Basement in Round 2. Saskatchewan’s Cody Coverchuk, who concluded the 2017 season ranked No. 5 in the Canadian standings, finished fifth, while No.8 Jared Parsonage finished sixth.

Also anticipated to compete are reigning PBR Canada Champion, and Alberta-native, Zane Lambert, in addition to fellow home-province rider Brock Radford.

Last season, the home-province hopefuls were two of the top contenders for the 2017 PBR Canada title, creating one of the tightest races for the championship in league history.

After Radford won Round 1 of the PBR Canada Finals, further extending his lead atop the national standings, Lambert made a come-from-behind surge on the final day to surpass Radford by 645.84 points, claiming his second PBR Canada title. Lambert, also the 2013 PBR Canada Champion, is just the second rider in history, alongside three-time champion Aaron Roy, to hold multiple national titles.

The bull riding action begins at 7:00 p.m. MT on Saturday, March 24. All riders will attempt one bull each in Round 1. The Top 10 will then advance to the Championship Round for one more ride and a chance at the $20,000 available in prize money. In addition to competing for points towards the Canadian National Standings, riders will also have the opportunity to earn world points in an effort to earn a berth onto the elite 25th PBR: Unleash The Beast series.

Tickets for the one-day event go on sale Friday, January 19 at 10 a.m MT. They range in price from $25 to $80, standard fees may apply, and can be purchased at the Calgary Stampede box office, online at Ticketmaster.ca, and by phone at (800) 661-1767.

The Calgary event will mark the first stop of the 2018 Monster Energy Tour, with the complete schedule of events to be announced in the coming days.