Game Notes – London

LEAVING IT ON THE LINE IN LONDON – This weekend, for the second consecutive season, and fourth time in tour history, PBR Canada’s elite Cup Series will buck into London, Ontario. The PBR London Classic, the fourth elite tour event of the season, will be held at Budweiser Gardens on Saturday, June 1. Action will begin at 7:00 p.m. EDT.  

RELATED: Click here for the complete London Game Notes.

THIS WEEKEND’S FORMAT – The PBR London Classic will feature three rounds of bull riding and is a Tier 1 Challenger Series Global event. Each rider will get on one bull in Round 1 on Saturday. The 10 bull riders with the best combined scores will then advance to the championship round later than evening, where they will attempt one final bull in an effort to be crowned the event champion. This weekend, one rider will have the chance to earn 120 national points, in addition to ride score points.

DAVIDSON STRIKES BIG IN BRANDON – When PBR Canada’s elite Cup Series was in action one week ago, Weston Davidson reached a crucial career milestone. In front of a sold-out Saturday night crowd Davidson went a perfect 2-for-2 to win the Mazergroup Chute Out inside Keystone Centre, marking his career-first Cup Series victory, and just his third overall PBR win. Davidson first struck in Round 1, delivering the fourth best score when he covered Busta Rhymes for 84 points. In the final round, the reserved Saskatchewan man then went head-to-head with Halo’s Flyin’ Cadillac. In what proved to be a perfect pairing, Davidson remained in perfect time with the powerful animal athlete, reaching the requisite 8 with ease for 86 points. The score not only won him the championship round, but also clinched Davidson the event win. Compliments of the golden finish, Davidson earned 124 national points, rocketing to No. 3 in the national standings. He now trails No. 1 Coverchuk by 263 points. Davidson will look to continue climbing the standings this weekend in London, first going head-to-head against All About Tonight in Round 1 inside Budweiser Gardens.

COVERCHUCK TIGHTENS GRIP ON NO. 1 RANK – Despite finishing just short of the victory, Cody Coverchuk did inch closer to his record-tying third PBR Canada Championship at the Cup Series event in Brandon, Manitoba by finishing second. Coverchuk was unrivaled in Round 1, logging what proved the be the high-marked ride of the event when he dominated Emerald Inn for 87 points. In the championship round, however, Coverchuk was denied the win when he was upended by Times A Tickin in a close 6.41 seconds. Earning 78 national points, he now leads No. 2 Jake Gardner by 219.5 points. This weekend in London, Coverchuck has drawn Almost Gone in Round 1.

DAKOTA DOES IT BIG IN DAUPHIN – Last weekend’s Cup Series event in Brandon, Manitoba, wasn’t the only PBR action in Canada, with the Touring Pro Division holding a tour stop in nearby Dauphin, Manitoba. At Credit Union Place, two-time and reigning PBR Canada Champion Dakota Buttar rode supreme, going a perfect 2-for-2 to win the Mazergroup PBR Dauphin, presented by the Dauphin Adventure Fund. Buttar first struck in Round 1 when he delivered the third-best score, marked 82.5 points atop Last Flight Tonight. The reserved Saskatchewan then surged to the top of the leaderboard, clinching the victory, when he delivered the high-marked ride of the event, awarded 86 points in the championship round for his 8-second effort on Hanna Motors Sure Shot. Buttar garnered 37 national points for the win. He is now ranked No. 10 in Canada, within 418 points of No. 1 Cody Coverchuk. Should Buttar continue his climb and be crowned the 2024 PBR Canada Champion, not only would he tie Aaron Roy for most titles won by one rider, but he would become the first rider in history to win the coveted honor in back-to-back seasons. This weekend in London, Buttar has drawn Cliff in Round 1.

PAST LONDON EVENT WINNERS – When the Cup Series last travelled to London in May 2023, Daylon Swearingen went a perfect 2-for-2, capping his efforts with a monstrous 90-point ride, to defend his title as the Cup Series’ London Classic event champion. In Round 1, 2022 World Champion Swearingen first put points on the board when he went the distance atop International Gangster, marked 83 points. With an early pick in the championship round bull draft, Swearingen elected to go head-to-head with Bull of the Year contender Langham Kid. In a decision which proved dividends, the Carolina Cowboys standout in the separate PBR Teams league remained in perfect time with the powerful animal athlete, reaching the requisite 8 for a mammoth 91.5 points. Swearingen earned 125 national points, surging to No. 7 in the heated 2023 PBR Canada Championship battle. As the season continued, Swearingen competed sporadically in Canada, qualifying for his fourth PBR Canada National Finals, ultimately concluding the year No. 19 in the Canadian standings. Eventual 2023 PBR Canada Champion Dakota Buttar finished runner-up at the PBR London Classic. The reserved Saskatchewan man rode Peacock for 85 points in Round 1, before covering Positively Bangin’ for 87 points in the championship round. He surged 13 spots in the standings, climbing from No. 18 to No. 5. While Swearingen is not in the lineup, Buttar will look to earn the win in London for the first time in his career, tasked with Cliff as his opening round opponent.

2023: Daylon Swearingen
2019: Daylon Swearingen
2016: Reese Cates  

FAMILIAR WATERS – Round 1 of the PBR London Classic will feature three rematches. Those riders facing familiar opponents are:

• Aaron Roy will look to improve to a perfect 2-for-2 against Dealing After Midnight. Last October in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Roy rode the bovine athlete for 85 points.
• Cody Coverchuk will attempt to remain perfect against Almost Gone. This past November, Coverchuk dominated the bull for 86 points at the Touring Pro Division event in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan.
• Coy Robbins is the final rider facing a familiar opponent in Allemand Left. In August 2022, Robbins made the requisite 8 aboard the bull, award 84 points at the Touring Pro Division’s Glen Keeley Memorial in Stavely, Alberta.

NEXT UP – The 2024 PBR Canada Sup Series will next travel to Kingston, Ontario, and Slush Puppie Place for the PBR Kingston Classic on June 4-5. Action will get underway at 7 p.m. EDT nightly on Tuesday, June 4 and Wednesday, June 5.   

PROVIDING PROTECTION – The bullfighters on hand for this weekend’s event in London, Ontario, are Tanner Byrne and Logan Kadlec.

2024 5/5 BUCKING BATTLE SCHEDULE AND RESULTS - Each 5/5 Bucking Battle features the Top 5 riders from the event following Round 1, competing against the five highest-ranked bulls at the event for extra bonus points and an additional purse. Here are the winners of the special rounds thus far in 2024:

March 1 in Lethbridge, Alberta | Cody Coverchuk, 86 points on Wild Time

 

LONDON COMPETITORS BY COUNTRY

Australia (2) – Cody Fraser, Callum Miller

Brazil (2) – Gilmar Santana, Alison Trindade

Canada (24) – Dakota Buttar, Cody Coverchuk, Tyler Craig, Weston Davidson, Tyler Ewart, Jake Gardner, Wyatt Gleeson, Dusty Golden, Garrett Green, Jordan Hansen, Chad Hartman, Griffin Koester, Keaton Martz, Micheal Ostashek, Brock Radford, Coy Robbins, Aaron Roy, Ashton Sahli, Cart Sahli, Cauy Schmidt, Chanse Switzer, Nick Tetz, Stefan Tonita, Justin Van de Kemp

United States (1) – Tyler Bauer

BREAKDOWN BY PROVINCE –

Alberta – Tyler Craig, Wyatt Gleeson, Dusty Golden, Garrett Green, Jordan Hansen, Griffin Koester, Keaton Martz, Micheal Ostashek, Brock Radford, Coy Robbins, Ashton Sahli, Carter Sahli, Cauy Schmidt, Nick Tetz; British Columbia – Jake Gardner; Ontario – Tyler Ewart, Justin Van de Kemp; Saskatchewan – Dakota Buttar, Cody Coverchuk, Weston Davidson, Chad Hartman, Aaron Roy, Chanse Switzer, Stefan Tonita.