Canada's Jake Gardner Makes Waves South of the Border

AIRDRIE, Alta. – Jake Gardner has had an electric start to the 2026 season. Through three PBR Canada events, Gardner logged two Top-10 finishes, establishing himself again as a contender for the PBR Canada Championship. Gardner carried that momentum south and turned it into a massive win at RODEOHOUSTON — a result that vaulted him to the top of the PRCA world standings.

Back home, that steady run in Canada has the perennial contender sitting No. 5 in the PBR Canada national standings. With a spring and summer packed with opportunities, the Fort St. John, British Columbia native is riding high early in 2026, and doing it on both sides of the border.

Gardner's 2025 campaign proved just how dangerous he can be in the PBR Canada title race. He led much of the regular season in a tight three-way battle with Dakota Buttar and eventual champion Jared Parsonage. The 29-year-old earned more than $100,000 in PBR Canada competition alone, and he believes last season's full commitment to the Canadian tour helped sharpen him as a rider.

"I think it was just good to go and change things up a bit, and a little bit of a change of scenery, going to all the PBR Canada events," Gardner said. "For several years before, I was just mainly focused on being down south, so it was good to go to all those PBR Canada events and just do something different for a year. I feel like I was able to go to those events and gain skill, work on my riding, which was nice. It kind of helped me slow things down more and work on my riding and be ready to do better down in the States."

In a sport that punishes the body and tests the mind, momentum is everything. When a rider feels healthy, confident, and sharp, the goal is to keep stacking rides and keep the belief rolling.

"It's just good to keep it rolling while you're feeling good and healthy," Gardner said. "And when you get on a good roll and have confidence, and you're able to show up confident, you perform to your best.

"That being said, you've got to stay grounded, and just because you win one doesn't mean it's finished. You've got to keep your nose to the grindstone. You've got to keep working hard for it, so it's good to have that momentum for sure."

Gardner already has 10 career event wins in the PBR, and he views his RODEOHOUSTON victory as one of the biggest moments of his career — not only for the payday and prestige, but for what it could mean come December. He has come close to qualifying for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo before, and this kind of early-season surge is exactly what riders chase.

"I've been in lots of positions where there was a lot of big money on the line, or Canadian titles, or some big opportunities," he said. "And I'm just grateful I was able to put it all together there and ride as well as I did."

Balancing two schedules is a constant puzzle for Canadian riders who compete in both the PBR and PRCA. Gardner admits he has his sights set on a PRCA world title, but he also knows his season will be shaped by where his momentum is strongest, and where he can make the most of it.

At the same time, Gardner says the PBR Canada schedule has never been stronger or more lucrative, and he plans to keep a PBR Canada Championship firmly on his radar in 2026 and beyond. Still, with his position in the PRCA standings taking off early, much of his spring and summer focus will shift stateside, even if that means missing some PBR Canada Cup Series events along the way.

"I think it's about wherever your goals are," Gardner said. "I think where I'm at in this point of the season, my main goal is going to be the rodeo side of things now, just because of how good of a start I had. Last year, I got a great start at PBR, and that was kind of the route I went.

"I think for a Canadian bull rider, the PBR Canada events are great, because you can go there and win so much money. I went there and had a good year last year, and it set me up for enough money to go travel and go rodeo this winter, so that's a huge bonus."

That's the other side of Gardner's Houston story and the part that still points directly back to the PBR. PBR Canada isn't just a place to compete; for many riders, it's a launch pad. It offers elite stock, big-event production, and meaningful cheques, the kind that help fund travel, entries, and the grind required to chase dreams at the highest level.

"I think those PBR Canada events are so good, because young guys can use them as a steppingstone," Gardner said. "It's a really good spot to go and get on good bulls for good money and get that confidence to go to big events down south in both rodeo and the PBR.

"You don't get much better as far as being a bull rider and trying to make money than the PBR in Canada. The bulls are so good there, and the money's good, and the atmosphere is just great. The crew that put those events on are just awesome. We're all like family. I love going to those events, and I'm going to be going to more rodeos this year. It is going to be tough. I'm going to have to miss some of those PBRs. I just think it's a great place to get better, make a living, and be a champion."

For Gardner, the path forward is clear: keep riding, keep building, and keep the momentum alive whether that next out is under the bright lights of a PBR Canada Cup Series arena, or on a rodeo stage south of the border.