GRANDE PRAIRIE, Alta. – As the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Canada Cup Series event in Grande Prairie, Alberta, got underway Friday night, defending event winner Dakota Buttar (Eatonia, Saskatchewan) rode supreme, winning Round 1 of the Peace Country Invitational to crack the Top 5 in the race for the 2024 PBR Canada Championship and accompanying $100,000 bonus.

Two-time and reigning PBR Canada Champion Buttar surged to an early event lead as he went the distance atop Pay Day (Skori Bucking Bulls) for 86 points.

The score earned Buttar a much needed 38 national points. He rose from No. 7 to No. 4 in the PBR Canada national standings as he attempts to become not only the first back-to-back PBR Canada Champion in history, but tie Aaron Roy (Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan) for most national titles won by one rider in history.

Buttar is now within 526.5 points of No. 1 Nick Tetz (Calgary, Alberta).

No. 1 Tetz and No. 2 Cody Coverchuk (Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan) tied for third to remain separated by a mere 3 national points.

Delivering matching 84-point scores, Tetz rode Night Stalker (X6 Ranch Bucking Cattle/B2 Braithwaite Ranches), while Coverchuk conquered Times A Wasting (Thompson Rodeo Livestock) to each collect 21 national points.

Ashton Sahli (Red Deer, Alberta) was second in Round 1, netting 28 national points. He went the distance atop Patiently Waiting (Skori Bucking Bulls) for 84.5 points.

Chasing his first PBR Canada Championship this November, Sahli rose from No. 9 to No. 8 in the standings. He is now 584 points behind No. 1 Tetz.

Rounding out the Top 5 in fifth was Tyler Craig (Crossfield, Alberta), who also won the event’s accompanying 5/5 Bucking Battle to garner 42 national points.

Craig turned in an 83-point ride on Wicked Water (Two Bit Bucking Bulls) in Round 1 to punch his ticket to the special round. In the 5/5 Bucking Battle, 2023 PBR Canada National Finals winner Craig led the field as he made the requisite 8 atop Hou’s Sippin (Vold Rodeo/Jake Wilson) for 86 points.

The Albertan rose one spot in the national standings, climbing from No. 11 to No. 10, inching within 612.84 points of the No. 1 rank.

Jordan Hansen (Okotoks, Alberta) was the only other rider to go a perfect 2-for-2 Friday evening inside Bonnetts Energy Centre.

Hansen tied for sixth in Round 1, riding Here and Now (Thompson Rodeo Livestock) for 80 points, and was second in the 5/5 Bucking Battle, conquering MoBamba (Thompson Rodeo Livestock) for 84.5 points.

Concluding the night with 24.5 national points, Hansen rose from No. 15 to No. 14 in the standings.

Action for the PBR Peace Country Invitational will conclude with Round 2 and the championship round on Saturday, September 28. Action gets underway at 7 p.m. MT.

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

PBR Canada Cup Series
PBR Peace Country Invitational
Bonnetts Energy Centre – Grande Prairie, Alberta
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Event Aggregate-Event Points)1. Dakota Buttar, 86-0-0-86.00-38 Points.
2. Ashton Sahli, 84.5-0-0-84.50-28 Points.
3. Nick Tetz, 84-0-0-84.00-21 Points.
(tie). Cody Coverchuk, 84-0-0-84.00-21 Points.
5. Tyler Craig, 83-0-0-83.00-19 Points.
6. Gilmar Santana, 80-0-0-80.00-16.5 Points.
(tie). Jordan Hansen, 80-0-0-80.00-8.5 Points.
8. William Barrows, 65-0-0-65.00-6 Points.
Weston Davidson, 0-0-0-0.00
Coy Robbins, 0-0-0-0.00
Jared Parsonage, 0-0-0-0.00
Chanse Switzer, 0-0-0-0.00
Aaron Roy, 0-0-0-0.00
Cody Fraser, 0-0-0-0.00
Cauy Schmidt, 0-0-0-0.00
Chad Hartman, 0-0-0-0.00
Lonnie West, 0-0-0-0.00
Tanner Eno, 0-0-0-0.00
Griffin Koester, 0-0-0-0.00
Keaton Martz, 0-0-0-0.00
Wyatt Laughlin, 0-0-0-0.00
Auzyn Corr, 0-0-0-0.00
Carter Sahli, 0-0-0-0.00
Cole Young, 0-0-0-0.00
Dawson Shannon, 0-0-0-0.00
Elijah Gordon, 0-0-0-0.00
Kyle Frizzi, 0-0-0-0.00

PBR Canada Cup Series
PBR Peace Country Invitational – 5/5 Bucking Battle
Bonnetts Energy Centre – Grande Prairie, Alberta
Event Leaders (Round 1- Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Tyler Craig, 86-86.00-23 Points.
2. Jordan Hansen, 84.5-84.50-16 Points.
Nick Tetz, 0-0.00
Cody Coverchuk, 0-0.00
Ashton Sahli, 0-0.00

Photo courtesy of Covy Moore/CovyMoore.com