Game Notes – London

LET’S GO TO LONDON – This weekend, for the fourth consecutive season, and sixth time in tour history, PBR Canada’s elite Cup Series will buck into London, Ontario. The PBR London Classic, the fifth elite tour event of the season, will be held at Canada Life Place on June 5. The action gets underway at 7:00 p.m. EDT.

RELATED: Click here for the complete London Game Notes. 

THIS WEEKEND’S FORMAT – The PBR London Classic will feature two rounds of bull riding and is a Tier 1 Challenger Series Global event. Each rider will get on one bull in Round 1 on Friday. The 10 bull riders with the top scores will then advance to the championship round later than evening, where they will attempt one final bull in an effort to be crowned the event champion. This weekend, one rider will have the chance to earn 120 national points, in addition to ride score points.

TETZ CONTINUES TO DOMINATE – Thus far during the 2026 PBR Canada season one rider has been riding in seemingly unstoppable form – Nick Tetz. The two-time PBR Canada Champion has entered 10 events this season, winning half of them, including the most recent Cup Series event in Hamilton, Ontario.

Tetz travelled to Hamilton fresh off his organization-best second Touring Pro Division win of the season in Melfort, Saskatchewan. As action got underway in Round 1 inside TD Coliseum, Tetz first put points on the board when he delivered the third-best score, covering Rip Dinger for 84.1 points. He then elected to go head-to-head with More or Less in the championship round. In a decision which proved dividends, Tetz dominated the powerful animal athlete for an event-best 89 points, cementing the win. Tetz left Hamilton having earned a crucial 125 national points. He extended his lead to 315.83 points over No. 2 Jeremy Maisonneuve, who was not competing in Hamilton due to injury, in the national standings. The win marked Tetz’ third Cup Series win of 2026, having also collected the victory at the tour’s first two stops of the season in Red Deer and Lethbridge, Alberta.

In addition to leading the PBR Canada contingent in event wins with five, he also has the most round wins across both levels of competition with eight. He has gone a torrid 15-for-20, covering 75% of his animal athlete opponents, currently amid a four-out ride streak. Chasing history this season, should Tetz be crowned the 2026 PBR Canada Champion, he would tie Aaron Roy for most national titles won by one rider with three. Looking to continue his dominant season this weekend in London, Tetz has drawn Twisted Logic in Round 1 inside Canada Life Place.

INTRODUCING THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE NASHVILLE STAMPEDE – Earlier this week, the 2026 PBR Teams Draft was held in the United States ahead of the league’s fifth season this summer. During the Draft, the 2022 Champion Nashville Stampede added a Canadian talent to their roster, drafting young gun Jayden Roy in the third round with the No. 24 overall pick. The 18-year-old Quebec native made his PBR Canada debut in early May in Brandon, Manitoba. After delivering a statement first out on home soil, winning Round 1 of the event, Roy went 2-for-3 at the tour stop to finish the event second. Roy then returned to PBR Canada competition at the most recent Cup Series event in Hamilton, Ontario, but was shutout, bucked off by Frigg Off in a close 5.58 seconds. In the race for the 2026 PBR Canada Championship, Roy is currently No. 20 as he chases his career first berth to the National Finals. Returning to action this weekend in London, Ontario, Roy has drawn Willy Wonka in the opening round.  

SANTANA SETS THE TONE – In the history of PBR Canada, never before has a Brazilian been crowned Champion at season’s end. However, Gilmar Santana is hoping to change that come November. Mounting one of the most consistent seasons of any active riders in the PBR Canada ranks, Santana has steadily climbed the standings, presently ranked No. 3, 365.83 points behind No. 1 Nick Tetz. Since making his season debut in late April at the Touring Pro Division event in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Santana has competed at seven events, logging rides at five events, and never finishing lower than fourth. Ahead of last weekend’s Cup Series event in Hamilton, Ontario, Santana registered his first win of the season in Dauphin, Manitoba. The 29-year-old then followed that with a second-place result at the first-ever Cup Series event in Hamilton, Ontario. Not only has Santana gone a head-turning 10-for-13 this season, riding 76.92% of his animal athlete opponents, but he is amid an eight-out ride streak. Keen to continue his journey up the standings this weekend in London, Ontario, Santana has drawn Write This Down in the opening round of action.

PAST LONDON EVENT WINNERS – When the Cup Series last travelled to London in June 2025, welcoming a record-setting, sold-out crowd, Dakota Buttar showed up and showed out, going a perfect 3-for-3 to win the event and overtake the then No. 1 rank in the national standings. Buttar got off to a quick start in Round 1, delivering the top score when he covered Kryptonite for 88.5 points. The reserved veteran then remained atop the leaderboard following Round 2 when he outlasted Red Rust for 87.5 points. With the first pick in the championship round bull draft, Buttar elected to go head-to-head with More or Less. Nodding with confidence, Buttar repeated his past success, dominating the bovine athlete for 89 points to clinch his second Cup Series win of the season. Buttar earned a crucial 251 points for the victory. While he travelled to London 151 points behind No. 1 Jake Gardner, the win allowed Buttar to overtake the lead in Canada, by a then 100 points ahead of No. 2 Gardner. As the 2025 season continued, Buttar remained a title contender until the final out, but fell short of the Championship, finishing the year No.  2 in the standings, 213 points behind title winner Jared Parsonage. Fast forward to present and Buttar will return to London looking to defend his event title ranked No. 8 in Canada, 483.33 points behind No. 1 Nick Tetz. Buttar has drawn a familiar opponent in Round 1 in Joker On A Jack.

2025 Dakota Buttar
2024 Cody Coverchuk
2023 Daylon Swearingen
2019 Daylon Swearingen
2016 Reese Cates 

FAMILIAR WATERS – Round 1 of the PBR London Classic will feature two rematches. The riders facing familiar opponents are:

• Chanse Switzer will look to crack the code aboard Up Roar. The two have squared off twice prior, with Switzer bucked off in both meetings. The two first danced at the July 2025 Cup Series event in Kelowna, British Columbia, as Switzer hit the ground in 2.08 seconds. Their rivalry was renewed that August at the Touring Pro Division event in Armstrong, British Columbia, with Switzer again bested, this time in 3.72 seconds.
• Dakota Buttar will attempt to remain perfect against Joker On A Jack. The two-time PBR Canada Champion rode the bull for 83.6 points during Round 1 of the 2026 PBR Canada Cup Series season-launch event in Red Deer, Alberta.

NEXT UP – The 2026 PBR Canada Sup Series will next travel to Ottawa, Ontario, and the Canadian Tire Centre for the PBR Ottawa Classic on Saturday, June 13. Action will get underway at 7 p.m. ET.   

PROVIDING PROTECTION – The bullfighters on hand for this weekend’s event in London, Ontario, are Tanner Byrne, Josh Haeberle and Logan Kadlec.

2026 5/5 BUCKING BATTLE SCHEDULE AND RESULTS - Each 5/5 Bucking Battle features the Top 5 riders from the event following Round 1, competing against the five highest-ranked bulls at the event for extra bonus points and an additional purse. Here are the winners of the special round in 2026:

March 6 in Lethbridge, Alberta      Stefan Tonita, 89.5 points on Monster Chip

 

LONDON COMPETITORS BY COUNTRY

Brazil (2) – Francisco Costa, Gilmar Santana

Canada (24) – Trinity Bear, Dakota Buttar, Ashten Buzsik, Cody Coverchuk, Tyler Craig, Weston Davidson, Tanner Eno, Tyler Ewart, Jordan Giguere, Garrett Green, Jordan Hansen, Ben Hoogers, Jacob Macinnis, Shawn McIlwaine, Coy Robbins, Jayden Roy, Ashton Sahli, Marshall Senger, Chanse Switzer, Nick Tetz, Bret Timmermans, Stefan Tonita, Justin Van de Kemp, Lonnie West

United States (2) – Andy Guzman, Tyler Villarreal

BREAKDOWN BY PROVINCE –

Alberta – Tyler Craig, Tanner Eno, Garrett Green, Jordan Hansen, Coy Robbins, Ashton Sahli, Nick Tetz, Lonnie West; Ontario – Ashten Buzsik, Tyler Ewart, Ben Hoogers, Jacob Macinnis, Shawn McIlwaine, Bret Timmermans, Justin Van de Kemp; Quebec – Jordan Giguere, Jayden Roy; Saskatchewan – Trinity Bear, Dakota Buttar, Cody Coverchuk, Weston Davidson, Marshall Senger, Chanse Switzer, Stefan Tonita.