NORTH BATTLEFORD - It was an exciting night at the Access Communications Centre in North Battleford on July 24 when fans packed the facility to take in the McDonald's Colby Cave Memorial PBR Classic.
About 25 top professional bull riders from across Canada and the U.S. showed their skills in the event, which is sanctioned by the Canadian Touring Pro. - PBR Canada.
A total of 869 fans attended the event.
Coming in first place was Jared Parsonage, from Maple Creek, with a score of 171.5 from a total of two rides.
Jake Gardner, from Fort St. John, B.C., garnered the second place title with a score of 168.5 from two rides.
Dakota Buttar, from Kindersley, picked up the third place spot with a score of 83.5 in one ride.
Jodi Chmelnyk, North Battleford PBR committee member, was thrilled with the event.
"It went great," she said. "It was a great turnout. The crowd loved the event. Everybody enjoyed the event; it was well run. It was a great atmosphere."
Buttar took part on the bull Slip Knot.
The 32 year old has been bull riding since he was 15 years old.
He's been to North Battleford competing a few times so far.
Buttar said bull riding is in his family, so it seemed a natural choice to take up the sport.
"My dad rode when he was younger.and I grew up around it," he said. "I like everything about it - the bulls themselves and the sport being around all my life. I love everything about it."
The sport is not without its challenges.
"Every day, it's keeping your body healthy, the travel. There's lots of challenges, and there's lots of new ones every day," Buttar said.
Corey Chmelnyk, North Battleford PBR committee president, said taking part in the North Battleford Classic is good for the riders' careers in the sport.
"It's good for the riders; they get points for the Canadian finals," he said. "They look forward to doing that in November, so all of these events showcase [their talents] to get to that final."
More information about the complete PBR Canada national standings is available on the PBR Canada website.
