YORKTON - The PBR Canada Cup Series rolled into Regina for a single night of action.
And when the lights finally went down on the Solstice day action Jordan Hansen of Amisk, Alta. had topped the PBR Regina Classic.
Hansen was one of only two cowboys to ride both their bulls, and his back-to-back scores of 88 for 176 on two was 10 points better than Fabian Dueck who managed riding his first bull for 86, but only drew a score of 80 on his second for 166.
Hansen said the win felt great, especially as it catapulted him into the mix for the Canadian title.
“I haven’t gotten to too many events,” he said, adding a separated shoulder suffered at an event in Fort Worth had him on the sidelines for several weeks.
So the win was important because Hansen said it “boosted me back up.”
With the two rides and top finish Hansen collected a crucial 126 national points.
Hansen, who has not yet won a Canadian title rose from number 16 to number five in the nation. He is now within 62 points of Maple Creek’s Jared Parsonage who sits atop the leader board.
Parsonage was shutout at his home province event, unable to extend his lead atop the standings. In Round 1, Parsonage was upended by Funkadelic (CS Bucking Bulls) in an uncharacteristic 2.33 seconds.
The Regina rides were important too as Hansen seeks to get back into a rhythm after his return.
Certainly bull riding is not a sport one can ease themselves back into.
“You can whisper in a bull’s ear all you want they’re not going to listen to you,” said Hansen.
So while admitting it was difficult to sit and watch, Hansen said he has come to realize when hurt you are better off dealing with the injury properly.
“I’m a little older and wiser now. . . I took the time I needed to get healed,” he said, adding when he was younger he would likely have rushed back and tried to ride through the injury.
Looking back at the Regina event, what worked for Hansen?
“I got a couple of good bulls honestly,” he said,
Hansen first put points on the board in Round 1 when he delivered the second-best score, covering Irish Rebel (Wilson Rodeo) for 88 points.
“He’s been a really good bull – one a guy should ride for a really good score,” Hansen told Yorkton This Week.
With the second selection in the championship round bull draft, Hansen elected to take on The Remedy (X6 Ranch Bucking Cattle/B2 Braithwaite Ranches).
Hansen said when you pick early you get your choice of opponent and it’s up to the cowboy to make a choice he can ride for big points.
In Regina Hansen’s decision which proved dividends, scoring a round-winning 88 points to cement his event victory.
Hansen will use the Regina win as momentum as he travels to events in Montana, Wyoming, Alberta, Oregon among others leading up to the Calgary Stampede July 10-12.
Calling the Stampede and its $50,000 cheque for winning, the biggest rodeo of the year, Hansen said every rider hopes to peak for the big rides.
And that’s where Regina can help.
“Confidence is key, especially in this sport, and staying consistent,” he said, adding the win builds confidence and now it’s up to him to find the consistency.
As for Dueck from Loma Plata, Paraguay, the only other rider to go a perfect 2-for-2, he garnered 83.5 national points.
Dueck started the event riding Times A Wasting (Thompson Rodeo Livestock) for 86 points in Round 1, before topping Finning Nikki Sixx (Flying Four Bucking Bulls) for 80.5 points in the championship round.
The Paraguay native rose 11 positions in the Canadian national standings, surging from No. 27 to No. 16.
The 2023 PBR Canada Sup Series, presented by Wrangler, will next travel to Kelowna, British Columbia, and Prospera Place for the PBR Okanagan Challenge on Thursday, July 20.
