YORKTON - It was a big win for a young Saskatchewan bull rider at a recent PBR Canada event in Brandon.
Weston Davidson from Strongfield, Sask., went two-for-two to win the PBR Canada Cup Series’ Mazergroup Chute Out at the Keystone Centre.
“It was definitely a packed house in Brandon. It was pretty awesome,” Davidson told Yorkton This Week in a recent interview. “All of the top guys in Canada were there.
“It definitely felt good to get the win.”
A PBR Canada release detailed that “Davidson first struck in Round 1, delivering the fourth best score when he covered Busta Rhymes (X6 Ranch Bucking Cattle/Legend Rodeo Stock) for 84 points.”
“I’d got on him a few times before,” said Davidson, adding he’s bucked off on a few of those occasions but bested the bull in their most recent encounter prior to Brandon “. . . so I kind of had confidence I could ride him.”
In the final round Davidson went head-to-head with Halo’s Flyin’ Cadillac (X6 Ranch Bucking Cattle/Legend Rodeo Stock).
It proved to be a perfect pairing, as Davidson remained in perfect time with the powerful animal athlete, reaching the requisite 8 with ease for 86 points, detailed the PBR release. The score not only won him the championship round, but also clinched Davidson the event win.
While it worked out in Davidson’s favour Halo’s Flyin’ Cadillac was not his first choice for the final round.
Davidson said he had wanted Times A Tickin.
“Cody Coverchuk actually took the bull I wanted,” he said.
Meadow Lake’s Coverchuk who ultimately finished second in Brandon, collecting 78 national points probably wishes he had left Times A Tickin to Davidson.
Coverchuk was unrivalled in Round 1, logging what proved the be the high-marked ride of the event when he dominated Emerald Inn (X6 Ranch Bucking Cattle/B2 Braithwaite Ranches) for 87 points.
But, in the championship round, Coverchuk was upended by Times A Tickin in 6.41 seconds.
As for Davidson a friend told him to take Halo’s Flyin’ Cadillac for his championship ride, adding “he looked pretty sweet.”
The win was the biggest of Davidson’s career at age 22.
“I started riding bulls when I was 15 years old,” he said, adding “I was on my first sheep when I was about two.
“I’ve been doing it (riding) pretty well my whole life.”
Davidson was almost genetically expected to be a bull rider.
“My dad was a PBR bull rider. My uncle was a bull fighter ... I was kind of born into it,” he said.
And he never regretted going down that path.
“I just love the sport. . . I definitely wouldn’t change it for the world,” said Davidson.
A PBR event win is what might be called a dream come true for the young cowboy.
“When I was a kid I remember going to the SaskTel Centre (Saskatoon) watching the PBR,” he said.
Now Davidson will look to build off the Brandon win with a rather basic philosophy regarding riding bulls.
“Just take it one bull at a time and put in the hard work,” he said, adding the sport comes down to trying “to ride everyone they put under you.”
And Davidson just relies on adapting ride-to-ride to each bull, rather than keeping a detailed account book of every bull. He said his travelling partner Chad Hartman has a book, so he can check on a bull’s tendencies, but bulls don’t always carry through on their tendencies.
“They are animals with their own mindset. . . A bull’s got a mind of his own and does what he wants,” he said.
The 2024 PBR Canada seasons continues Saturday, June 1 in London, Ontario.
