Teenage Phenom John Crimber Dominates Opening Night of PBR Saskatoon Classic, Winning Round 1 and 5/5 Bucking Battle to Vault to No. 31 in the 2024 Championship Battle

SASKATOON, Sask. – In front of a raucous Friday night crowd in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, teenage phenom John Crimber (Decatur, Texas) rode in seemingly unstoppable form, tying for Round 1 and winning the 5/5 Bucking Battle at the PBR (professional Bull Riders) Canada Cup Series event inside SaskTel Centre, vaulting from unranked to No. 31 in the nation.

During the opening night of competition in Saskatoon, PBR Canada’s finest showed up and showed out, going a torrid 16-for-33, covering 48.48% of the nights bucking bulls.

Crimber, who rides for the Florida Freedom in the separate PBR Teams league, and was crowned the 2024 MVP, got off to a quick start in the opening round, delivering the ride which would tie for the Round 1 win when he went the distance on Smooth Sailor (Shay Marks) for 86.5 points.

The top marks advanced Crimber to the final 5/5 Bucking Battle of the season where he went head-to-head with Ceili’s Pyper (Foley Bucking Bulls). Bursting from the chutes, Crimber matched the powerful athlete jump-for-jump en route to the whistle. As the crowd erupted in boisterous cheer, Crimber was awarded a special round best 88.5.

Crimber garnered a combined 56 national points, rocketing from unranked to No. 31 in the race for the 2024 PBR Canada Championship and accompanying $100,000 bonus. Attempting to make a late season push to qualify for the 2024 Command Tubular PBR Canada National Finals, presented by Edmonton’s Best Hotels, on Nov. 8-9 in Edmonton, Alberta, at Rogers Place, Crimber now trails the Top 17 threshold by 126 national points.

Gilmar Santana (Ouro Preto, Brazil) also delivered a flawless 2-for-2 performance Friday evening, tying for the Round 1 win and finishing third in the 5/5 Bucking Battle, to collect 48 national points.

Santana delivered his 86.5-point ride in Round 1 aboard Talk’s Cheap (Eno Bucking Bulls), and then went the distance on Hanna Motors Broken Halo (Skori Bucking Bulls) for 83.5 points in the 5/5 Bucking Battle.

The Brazilian rose from No. 14 to No. 12 in Canada.

The Missouri Thunder’s Trace Redd (Malad, Idaho) was the final rider to cover both of his animal athlete opponents.

Redd tied for third in Round 1, besting Short Order (Skori Bucking Bulls) for 85 points, and then was runner-up in the 5/5 Bucking Battle, topping Edge of Tomorrow (Lazy S Bucking Bulls) for 84 points.

The 19-year-old concluded the evening with 35.5 national points. Redd rose from unranked to No. 40 in Canada, 146.5 outside of the Top 17.

Atop the race for the 2024 PBR Canada Championship, No. 1 Nick Tetz (Calgary, Alberta) extended his lead atop the standings by tying for eighth in Round 1. The 2022 PBR Canada Champion netted 13.5 national points courtesy of his 84-point ride on Red Rust (Vold Rodeo).

Tetz now leads No. 2 Cody Coverchuk (Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan) by 45.5 national points. Coverchuk was shutout Friday night in Saskatoon, bucked off by Lil Nasty (Foley Bucking Bulls) in 2.36 seconds.

Elsewhere in Round 1 of the PBR Saskatoon Classic, presented by Redhead Equipment and CASE IH, Dakota Buttar (Eatonia, Saskatchewan), Chanse Switzer (Hazenmore, Saskatchewan) and Tanner Eno (Coronation, Alberta) tied for third alongside Redd, delivering 85-point rides of their own to net 19.5 national points.

Buttar made the 8 on Hammer Time (Skori Bucking Bulls), Switzer topped Wild Time (Vold Rodeo) and Eno outlasted Mogley (Lazy S Bucking Bulls).

Two-time PBR Canada Champion Buttar remained No. 3 in Canada, now 574.5 points behind No.1 Tetz.

Switzer climbed one position from No. 8 to No. 7 in Canada, inching within 691.67 points of the top spot.

Eno also climbed one position, rising from No. 35 to No. 24.

Colten Fritzlan (Rifle, Colorado), Aaron Roy (Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan), Dawson Shannon (Drayton Valley, Alberta), Stefan Tonita (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan), Jordan Hansen (Amisk, Alberta) and Garrett Green (Meeting Creek, Alberta) also advance to Round 2 with a qualified ride.

The PBR Saskatoon Classic, presented by Redhead Equipment and CASE IH, concludes Saturday, October 26 with Round 2 and the championship round. Action will get underway at 7:00 p.m. CST.

Tickets are still available and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.ca.

Stay tuned in to PBRCanada.com and follow the tour on Facebook (PBR Canada), X (@PBRCanada), and Instagram (@PBRCanada) for the latest results, news, stats and more.

PBR Canada Cup Series
PBR Saskatoon Classic, presented by Redhead Equipment and CASE IH
SaskTel Centre – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
(Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Gilmar Santana, 86.5-0-0-86.50-33 Points.
(tie). John Crimber, 86.5-0-0-86.50-33 Points.
3. Dakota Buttar, 85-0-0-85.00-19.5 Points.
(tie). Chanse Switzer, 85-0-0-85.00-19.5 Points.
(tie). Tanner Eno, 85-0-0-85.00-19.5 Points.
(tie). Trace Redd, 85-0-0-85.00-19.5 Points.
7. Colten Fritzlan, 84.5-0-0-84.50-16 Points.
8. Nick Tetz, 84-0-0-84.00-13.5 Points.
(tie). Aaron Roy, 84-0-0-84.00-13.5 Points.
10. Dawson Shannon, 83.5-0-0-83.50-11 Points.
11. Stefan Tonita, 82-0-0-82.00-10 Points.
12. Jordan Hansen, 81-0-0-81.00-1 Points.
13. Garrett Green, 78-0-0-78.00
Cody Coverchuk, 0-0-0-0.00
Coy Robbins, 0-0-0-0.00
Weston Davidson, 0-0-0-0.00
Tyler Craig, 0-0-0-0.00
Wyatt Gleeson, 0-0-0-0.00
Cody Fraser, 0-0-0-0.00
Cauy Schmidt, 0-0-0-0.00
Dixon Tattrie, 0-0-0-0.00
Chad Hartman, 0-0-0-0.00
William Barrows, 0-0-0-0.00
Griffin Koester, 0-0-0-0.00
Daylon Swearingen, 0-0-0-0.00
Cole Young, 0-0-0-0.00
Koltin Hevalow, 0-0-0-0.00
Brayden Shore, 0-0-0-0.00

PBR Canada Cup Series
PBR Saskatoon Classic, presented by Redhead Equipment and CASE IH – 5/5 Bucking Battle
SaskTel Centre – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
(Round 1- Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. John Crimber, 88.5-88.50-23 Points.
2. Trace Redd, 84-84.00-16 Points.
3. Gilmar Santana, 83.5-83.50-15 Points.
Chanse Switzer, 0-0.00
Tanner Eno, 0-0.00