SASKATOON, Sask. – PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Australia and Canada today announced the pair of athletes who will compete in the other nation’s year-end Finals event this November as part of their continued transcontinental partnership to foster more competitive opportunities for the organization’s athletes.
Surging Canadians Weston Davidson (Strongfield, Saskatchewan) and Chanse Switzer (Hazenmore, Saskatchewan) will ride at the PBR Australia Grand Finals on Nov. 1-2 in Townsville, Queensland, while Australian young guns Boston Leather (Calliope, Queensland) and Ben Bode (Calliope, Queensland) will ride at the PBR Canada National Finals on Nov. 8-9 in Edmonton, Alberta.
Davidson and Switzer will travel to Australia for the first time ranked firmly inside the Top 10 in the race for the 2024 PBR Canada Championship and accompanying $100,000 bonus. Davidson leads the duo, presently ranked No. 3, followed closely by No. 7 Switzer.
Thus far in 2024, Davidson’s season has been headlined by his career first Cup Series victory in Brandon, Manitoba, in late May. On home soil, he has logged an additional eight Top 10 finishes. His campaign also included a brief stint stateside, where he rode to three Top 20 efforts, led by a third-place finish in January on the Velocity Tour in Charleston, West Virginia.
Chasing his first PBR Canada Championship this season, Davidson, who has locked up his second career qualification to the PBR Canada National Finals, currently trails the top-ranked rider by 607 points.
Switzer will travel Down Under for the first time amid a career year, which has included his debut on the premier Unleash The Beast this past January in New York City. On home soil, Switzer has earned an event win, victorious on the Touring Pro Division in mid-July in Diamond City, Alberta, in addition to eleven accompanying Top 5 finishes.
Preparing to make his PBR Canada National Finals debut in 2024, Switzer is presently 665.67 points back of the No. 1 rank.
The 2024 PBR Australia Monster Energy Tour Grand Finals will be held in Townsville, Queensland at the Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre Nov. 1-2, with competition getting underway nightly at 7:30 p.m. AEST. The Australian Grand Finals will award more than $205,000 AUD in prize money, including a $75,000 AUD bonus to the 2024 PBR Australian Champion.
During the 2024 PBR Australia Grand Finals, each rider will get on two bulls per night in Rounds 1-2 on Friday, November 1, and on bull in Round 3 on Saturday, November 2. Following Round 3 on Saturday evening, the Top 15 riders will then advance to the championship round.
The rider with the highest aggregate score throughout four rounds will win the PBR Australia Grand Finals event title.
Tickets are still available, and start at $37 AUD, standard fees may apply. They can be purchased online at Premier.Ticketek.com.au.
Much like their Canadian counterparts, Leather and Bode will make the transcontinental trip to Canada for the first time following standout seasons at home; each rider earned his first qualification to the Australia Grand Finals.
Leather follows in the footsteps of his older brother, and 2023 PBR Australia Champion, Macaulie Leather who made the most of his invite to the 2023 PBR Canada National Finals, going a perfect 4-for-4 to tie for second as he made his debut on Canadian soil.
Boston Leather currently leads the 2024 PBR Australia Championship race, 218.5 points ahead of No. 2 Lachlan Richardson (Gresford, New South Wales).
The 19-year-old is having a standout rookie season in Australia, having already won four events, including the most recent Monster Energy Tour event in Mackay, Queensland, in addition to registering an accompanying 10 Top 10 finishes.
Leather will be joined by fellow Queensland native Bode in the Great White North.
Bode’s accomplishments in Australia, including his career first event win in mid-March in Toowoomba, Queensland, have propelled him to the current No. 4 rank in the nation, 376 points behind No. 1 Leather.
The 2024 PBR Canada National Finals will mark the richest iteration of the year-end event ever held. The two-day event inside the home of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers will pay out an unprecedented $250,000 CAD, including a historic $100,000 CAD bonus to the 2024 PBR Canada Champion and a $30,000 CAD payout for the event winner.
The bull riding action for 2024 PBR Canada National Finals, presented by Command Tubular Products, begins at 7:00 p.m. MST on Friday, November 9 and Saturday, November 9 at Rogers Place.
The year-end event will feature four rounds of bull riding. Each rider will get on one bull in Round 1 and Round 2 on Friday and Round 3 on Saturday.
The 12 bull riders with the top combined ride scores will then advance to the championship round on Saturday where they will attempt one final bull in an effort to win the PBR Canada National Finals event and earn crucial points to be crowned the 2024 PBR Canada Champion. During the event Round 2 and Round 3 will feature a rider drafted draw, while Round 1 and the championship round will be pre-determined.
Tickets are still available, and start at $40 CAD, standard fees may apply. They can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.ca.
Stay tuned in to PBRAustralia.com.au and follow the tour on Facebook (PBR Australia), X (@PBRAustralia), and Instagram (@PBRAustralia) for the latest results, news, stats and more.
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.
Photo courtesy of Andre Silva/Bull Stock Media
