NEWS PHOTO RYAN MCCRACKEN
Okotoks' Jordan Hansen hangs onto Sick Rhymes during Professional Bull Riding's Thunderbuck in the Badlands on Saturday, June 22, 2019 at the Canalta Centre.
rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com@MHNMcCracken
Professional Bull Riding returned to the Gas City with a bang on Saturday night at the Canalta Centre.
From an explosive pyrotechnic introduction to a few dozen white knuckle thrill rides, there wasn’t a single dull moment during Thunderbuck in the Badlands.
“I think this bull riding has leaps and bounds exceeded expectations,” said Maple Creek rider Jared Parsonage. “It’s awesome. It’s a beautiful facility, everything is good and it’s nice that you can ride for this much money this close to home.”
Dakota Buttar went on to win the final event with a championship ride of 88.5. Buttar – who punched his ticket to the final with an 85-point ride in the first go-round – has been battling a shoulder injury since April.
“The shoulder has been feeling good. I’ve been rehabbing a lot,” said Buttar, a product of Kindersley, Sask. “It’s nice coming down the road to Medicine Hat, nice and close to home.”
Buttar added he’s hoping PBR “can come back here and do it again next year,” and Blazing Brand Marketing and Productions’ Lorelle Halderman – who helped put on the event – says it’s looking like that may be in the cards after Saturday’s rousing success at the Canalta Centre.
“We were extremely close to a sellout crowd so I am very pleased, especially for it being a first-time event,” Halderman said in an email with the News. “Comments from sponsors, crowd and PBR were very positive so yes we are in the works for next year already.”
Jordan Hansen was the only other rider to record a score in the final, settling for second at 84 points after cracking the top 10 with an 81.5-point ride. The Okotoks product says the majority of PBR’s riders are battling one injury or another, the fun is in discovering who can overcome them.
“I’ve got a couple torn ligaments and a couple fractures in the ankle. I’ve been dealing with that for the last couple of weeks,” said Hansen. “They say it’s 80 per cent mental, so just to kind of grit things out and put the pain aside just for a little bit – it damn sure is worth it when you can put it aside and make a good ride.”
Injury came to the forefront early in the evening when Claresholm’s Logan Biever was knocked out while riding Certified and Tested and had to be removed from the arena on a stretcher. The situation brought a hush over the crowd, though Biever was responsive as medical staff attended to him.
PBR is expected to release a statement today regarding Biever’s condition.
“Everybody knows bull riding is a dangerous sport, the most dangerous hands down,” said Parsonage, who made the final with an 82-point ride. “Logan got in a wreck there, got knocked out, but we have the Canadian Pro Rodeo sports medicine team here and they’re the very best in the world in my opinion. They’ve got everything you’ll ever need, they’ll take care of us like professional athletes are taken care of. We’ve got everything from sports therapists to medical staff. We know it’s dangerous, but we know we’re in good hands and they’re great people.”
Parsonage and Hansen have been battling for the top of the PBR Canadian standings all season long. The pair of best friends sat first and third, respectively, entering the weekend, though Hansen gained some ground with his second-place finish Saturday.
“We’ve been back and forth all year. He’s been holding onto No. 1 here for a little bit longer now,” said Hansen. “We plan on keeping it (back-and-forth) until the end.”
