Dakota Buttar, bull rider for the Professional Bull Riders, walks out after winning the belt buckel at the Monster Energy Tour on March 7, 2019 at the ENMAX Centre. He went four for four throughout the two days and now has a 10 for 10 record, as he has not been bucked off the horse yet this season.
Professional Bull Riding bucked over to Lethbridge at the ENMAX centre this past weekend.
Dakota Buttar, the 19th ranked bull rider from Kindersley, Saskatchewan, set a new record for consecutive rides without being bucked off to start the year when he went 10 for 10 as he won the Lethbridge belt buckle. Buttar went four for four in Lethbridge and beat out 30th ranked bull rider Brock Radford for the victory.
Jason Davidson, executive director of the PBR, compared the Professional Bull Riding league to another sports league that is popular in Canada.
“You’re talented enough like any professional sport, like hockey and we all can talk about hockey in Canada. We have National Hockey League teams, we have American Hockey League teams, East Coast Hockey League teams, we have junior teams and then tier two junior teams; it’s no different in the PBR. So, you’re watching the National Hockey League of the PBR here in Lethbridge this weekend,” said Davidson.
Davidson added he loves the staff at the ENMAX Centre. He believes Lethbridge is the best crowd on the PBR tour.
Bull riders have to be at least 18-years-old to become professional as they must go through a permit system to join the professional leagues.
Davidson said the riders have $25,000 on their mind throughout the tour as they will try to climb up the standings and have the opportunity to win the $110,000 prize money in Saskatoon in November. He added there are also PBR world finals that will have $3.5 million in prize money.
PBR tours all around the world, with events in Brazil, Australia, United States, Mexico and Canada
“This is actually my first time at PBR. I usually go to the stampede shows in Calgary, so being able to make the travel to Lethbridge and watch a different show is going to be really fun,” said Connor Cartwright, rodeo fan.
He added his brother, Cole, has a past with bucking bronco riding, as he made the cover of Calgary Sun because he got bucked off a horse and was knocked to a pole and hit the ground unconscious. He added Cole is currently working on a rodeo career of his own.
Cartwright lives the country lifestyle as he works on multiple farms, which allows him to be in the middle of nowhere and to himself. The country boy added he likes the peace and quiet, as he believes the city life is too loud.
“They’re always judged by each ride. Fifty points will come from the bull, 50 points will come from the rider and then on the combined score will be the rider’s final score. So, the bull could score 30 and the rider could score 30 and that’s a 60-point ride,” Cartwright said when talking about how they determine scores in competition.
This is the 20th year PBR has broadcasted their events, and the 18th time coming to Lethbridge. For more information about future Canadian events and other Professional Bull Rider competitions, go to PBR.com.