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For the first time in the history of the tour, the Pro Bull Riders (PBR) Canada’s elite Cup Series will come to the Brandt Centre on June 22 for the PBR Regina Classic.
The tour was originally scheduled for March, 2020, but was cancelled almost at the last minute by COVID emergency health orders.
The PBR Regina Classic will be held in tandem with Canada’s Farm Show (CFS), which takes place June 21 to 23.
The CFS is one of Canada’s largest dryland farming shows, and will host exhibitors, producers, and international buyers displaying, marketing, and educating on the latest farming technologies.
“I believe the exhibitors and the people visiting for the day are looking for some entertainment in the evenings,” said Jason Davidson, PBR Canada general manager. “I like to call it a combination of rock concert, monster trucks, and freestyle motocross. And then you add the livestock and the riders into the equation. You know, there’s no referees out there to blow the whistle. I wouldn’t even say it’s arguable anymore — it’s the most dangerous sport in the world. You’re matching up man versus beast in every sense of the phrase.”
Bull riders will hail from Canada, the US, Australia, and Brazil for the event. The bulls, which are referred to by PBR as “animal athletes,” are all from Canada.
Eight seconds is the time to reach once the gate is opened, which should give novices to the sport an idea of what it’s like for a human being to try to keep their seat on the back of a 2,000-pound collection of muscle and aggression. Eight seconds is a successful ride.
Once they’re thrown, professional bullfighters take the spotlight as they attempt to distract the bull from the unseated rider. The bull is not harmed at any point.
The bucking bulls that compete against the riders have rankings of their own. They come from long, carefully-cultivated bloodlines and can look forward to long retirements after a career of throwing humans on the ground in exotic, international locations.
Happy Camper, two-time PBR Canada Bull of the Year, from Two Bit Bucking Bulls, will be in Regina. He has an average buckoff time of 3.08 seconds.
“This tour has travelled through every major building in Canada,” Davidson said. “Including (Coca-Cola Coliseum) in Toronto, Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Bell Centre in Montreal. This is our first time to Regina, which we’re really looking forward to.”
Davidson said that Brandt Centre is going to look a lot different than usual.
“The plexiglass comes out from all around the arena, we remove the boards at the west end of the arena, and then we bring in the dump trucks.”
The steel setup in Brandt Centre will be the length of six football fields, with 750 tons of dirt trucked in for the floor.
The Regina Classic will bring together 25 of the world’s best bull riders with 42 tough, massive bulls. Riders will compete for PBR Canada Championship points and a $50,000 winner’s bonus.
Find tickets on the PBR Canada website at pbrcanada.com/series/cup-series/schedule/2022/regina-sk/.
