The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Red Deer Classic didn’t disappoint on Saturday night.
For the third straight year, PBR Canada’s Elite Cup Series launched its season at the Peavey Mart Centrium in front of a rowdy crowd.
Jake Gardner from Fort St. John, B.C., had an electrifying ride in the championship round to put himself on top with 172 points.
He told The Advocate after winning $9,600 at the event that it was a monumental victory for him.
“It’s the first big event of the season. To get a head start on the season I’m very grateful for it,” he said.
The seven-year professional bull rider made it look easy with an 85-point run in the first round, which was good enough for second place.
He followed that up with an 87-point performance in the championship round that got the fans on their feet.
Gardner, who had yet to see his score, was visibly excited after he jumped off his bull. He immediately hopped up on the fence to excite the crowd.
“I knew I did my job good,” Gardner said. “I spurred that bull and the crowd went wild. I like making the crowd go wild so I get pretty into the sport. I’m pretty passionate, so I’m very happy.”
In the championship round, the 27-year-old climbed on top of a bull from Kinky Buckers named Broken Pearl.
It was a familiar bull to Gardner, who rode Broken Pearl in the PBR Canada National Finals in Edmonton last year, but he finished 13th.
It was an exciting night of bull riding in Red Deer. Hazenmore, Sask. native Chanse Switzer came in second with 171.5 points followed by a tie in third place between Meadow Lake’s Cody Coverchuk and defending Red Deer Classic champion Jared Parsonage from Maple Creek, Sask. with 171 points.
Gardner explained it came down to the wire, but he just focused on the task at hand.
“It puts the pressure on a guy, but only if you let it. I just hung out in the back and focused on my job, which was riding a bull not watching other guys put high scores on the board. That’s how I went about it.”
Red Deer’s Ashton Sahli was knocked out of the running after he failed to make the eight-second mark on his opening run.