Game Notes – Hamilton

HELLO HAMILTON – This weekend, for the first time in history, PBR Canada’s elite Cup Series will buck into Hamilton, Ontario. The PBR Hamilton Classic, the fourth elite tour event of the season, will be held at TD Coliseum on May 30. The action gets underway at 7:00 p.m. EDT.

RELATED: Click here for the complete Hamilton Game Notes.

THIS WEEKEND’S FORMAT – The PBR Hamilton 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 Saturday. 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.

MAISONNEUVE, ROY MAKE NOISE IN BRANDON – In front of a sold-out, record-setting crowd at the most recent PBR Canada Cup Series event in Brandon, Manitoba, young gun Jeremy Maisonneuve rode in electric form, going a flawless 3-for-3 to win his career-first Cup Series event, victorious at the PBR Mazergroup Chute Out inside Assiniboine Credit Union Place. The win, the second of the 19-year-olds career across all levels of PBR competition in Canada, allowed him to surge from No. 12 to the No. 2 in the race for the 2026 PBR Canada Championship. Maisonneuve got off to a quick start in Round 1, covering Effective for 85.2 points. He then continued his momentum in the second round, topping Linebacker for 86.2 points, to punch his ticket to the championship round second on the event leaderboard. With an early pick in the championship round bull draft, Maisonneuve selected a familiar opponent in Moonwalk. At the season-launch Cup Series event in Red Deer, Alberta, in late January, the reigning Bull of the Year tossed Maisonneuve in a quick 3.96 seconds. Keen to reverse his fortunes, Maisonneuve nodded with confidence in the Keystone Province and remained atop the bull with ease en route to the 8-second whistle. Maisonneuve was awarded an event-best 89.7 points, clinching the victory. As the only rider to go a perfect 3-for-3, Maisonneuve’s win earned him a crucial 143.5 national points. He catapulted from No. 12 to No. 2 in Canada, then trailing No. 1 Nick Tetz by 234 points. Maisonneuve, who remains No. 2 in Canada, 190.83 points behind No. 1 Tetz, will not compete in Hamilton, Ontario, as he continues to recover from a broken jaw.

Tetz was unable to grow his lead atop the standings in Brandon, going an uncharacteristic 0-for-2. After he was tossed by Pay Day in a hard-fought 6.47 seconds in Round 1, the two-time PBR Canada Champion was bucked off by Diggin Up Bones in 4.21 seconds in Round 2.

Returning to the top of the event leaderboard, 18-year-old Jayden Roy finished second in his PBR Canada debut. Roy was sensational in Round 1, delivering the top score when he rode Linebacker for 86.8 points. He then maintained his event lead in Round 2 when he conquered Thunder Down Under for 86.1 points. In the final round, Roy was denied his career-first PBR win when he was bucked off by 2024 PBR Canada Bull of the Year Grand Funk in a quick 3.56 seconds. Netting 94 national points, Roy rose from unranked to No. 13 in the national standings, propelled within a then 375.5 points of No. 1 Tetz. Roy is currently No. 19 in Canada, 449.33 points back of the No. 1 spot. Roy will look to capture his first win when he climbs aboard Frigg Off in Round 1 inside TD Coliseum.

LET’S TALK TOURING PRO DIVISION – While it has been less than a month since the Cup Series was last in action, the Touring Pro Division has been in full swing, holding four events. Here is a recap of those events:

Brooks, Alberta (May 8): As a raucous crowd watched on in Brooks, Alberta, Grady Young rode supreme, going a perfect 2-for-2 to win his first PBR Canada event, victorious at the Touring Pro Division’s Koye Larson Memorial PBR featuring Chancey Williams. As action got underway in Round 1, Young delivered the second-best score, outlasting Bangers & Mash for 84.9 points. He then continued his momentum in the championship round, cementing the event win when he conquered Dirty Habits for a commanding 88.8 points. The 20-year-old left the event earning 59 national points. He vaulted from unranked to then No. 19 in the Canadian national standings. Elsewhere on the event leaderboard, two-time PBR Canada Champion Nick Tetz tied for seventh, earning 11.83 points and remaining No. 1 in the nation. He rode Tire Fire for 83.5 points in Round 1 before being tossed by Choices in a close 7.6 seconds in the final round. While Young is not anticipated to compete in Hamilton, Tetz headlines the draw set to attempt Rip Dinger in Round 1.

Camrose, Alberta (May 9): In front of a sold-out crowd in Camrose, Alberta, inside the Camrose Recreational Centre, Chanse Switzer rode in electric form, going a perfect 2-for-2 to win the Touring Pro Division’s Rose City Invitational. The 2024 PBR Canada Rookie of the Year was sensational in Round 1, delivering the top score when he rode Key-Lix Hudson Bay for 85.5 points. Switzer then clinched his first win of the season when he made the requisite 8 on Linebacker for 88.2 points in the championship round. Collecting 125 national points for the golden showing, Switzer catapulted from No. 34 to No. 11 in the race for the 2026 PBR Canada Championship. He surged within a then 344.5 points of No. 1 Nick Tetz. Tetz was unable to grow his lead at the Rose City Invitational, shutout, going 0-for-1. The two-time PBR Canada Champion was tossed by F.A.F.O.  in a heartbreaking 7.57 seconds in the opening round. Fast forward to present and Switzer is ranked No. 12 in Canada, 395.5 points behind No. 1 Tetz. Switzer will attempt Says Who in Round 1 of the PBR Hamilton Classic.

Melfort, Saskatchewan (May 22): As the 2026 PBR Canada season continued in Melfort, Saskatchewan, two-time national Champion Nick Tetz rode supreme, sweeping both rounds of competition en route to winning the Touring Pro Division’s Ripley Rumble PBR. Tetz was electric as action got underway in Round 1, delivering the top marks when he outlasted Easy Living for 85.5 points. The reserved Albertan then solidified his second Touring Pro Division win of the season when he registered the high-marked ride of the event, covering Linebacker for 86.9 points in the championship round. Tetz collected 62 national points for his golden finish at Ripley Ford. The victory allowed him to further his stronghold on the No. 1 rank in Canada, growing his lead to 190.83 points over No. 2 Jeremy Maisonneuve.

Dauphin, Manitoba (May 23): At the most recent PBR Canada Touring Pro Division event held last Saturday night in Dauphin, Manitoba, Gilmar Santana showed up and showed out, going a perfect 2-for-2 to win PBR Dauphin. Santana first put points on the board in Round 1 when he made the requisite 8 on Shock Top for 84.4 points. He then delivered his second qualified ride in as many attempts when he conquered Into The Fray for 83.9 points. Collecting 54 national points for his golden finish, Santana rose from No. 8 to No. 5 in the race for the 2026 PBR Canada Championship and accompanying $100,000 bonus. He now trails No. 1 Nick Tetz, who did not compete at PBR Dauphin, by 323.83 points. This weekend in Hamilton, Ontario, Santana will look to further climb the standings when he attempts Bonspiel Bishop in the opening round of action.

PAST HAMILTON EVENT WINNERS – While the PBR Canada Cup Series has never before visited Hamilton, Ontario, the Touring Pro Division made two stops in the Ontario city in the late 2000s. The organization held the debut event in Hamilton in 2007 before returning again with the developmental series in 2009.

2009     Tyler Pankewitz
2007     Steven Turner

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

• Nick Tetz will look to improve to a perfect 2-for-2 against Rip Dinger. The two-time PBR Canada Champion rode the bull for 84 points at the November 2025 Touring Pro Division event in Yorkton, Saskatchewan.
• Chanse Switzer will look to even the score against Says Who. The powerful animal athlete bested Switzer in 4.82 seconds earlier this month at the Cup Series event in Brandon, Manitoba.
• Lonnie West will attempt Affairs In Order for the second time in his career. West was tossed by the bull in 3.6 seconds during the September 2025 Touring Pro Division event in Kindersley, Saskatchewan.

NEXT UP – The 2026 PBR Canada Sup Series will next travel to London, Ontario, and Canada Life Place for the PBR London Classic on Friday, June 5. Action will get underway at 7 p.m. ET.   

PROVIDING PROTECTION – The bullfighters on hand for this weekend’s event in Hamilton, 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 2025:

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

 

HAMILTON COMPETITORS BY COUNTRY

Brazil (2) – Francisco Costa, Gilmar Santana

Canada (25) – Trinity Bear, Dakota Buttar, Ashten Buzsik, Cody Coverchuk, Tyler Craig, Weston Davidson, Tanner Eno, Tyler Ewart, Jordan Giguere, Garrett Green, Jordan Hansen, Griffin Koester, Shawn McIlwaine, Austin Paley, Coy Robbins, Jayden Roy, Cauy Schmidt, Marshall Senger, Tanner Skene, Chanse Switzer, Nick Tetz, Bret Timmermans, Justin Van de Kemp, Lonnie West, Travis Wilts

BREAKDOWN BY PROVINCE –

Alberta – Tyler Craig, Tanner Eno, Garrett Green, Jordan Hansen, Griffin Koester, Austin Paley, Coy Robbins, Cauy Schmidt, Nick Tetz, Lonnie West; Ontario – Ashten Buzsik, Tyler Ewart, Shawn McIlwaine, Bret Timmermans, Justin Van de Kemp, Travis Wilts; Quebec – Jordan Giguere, Jayden Roy; Saskatchewan – Trinity Bear, Dakota Buttar, Cody Coverchuk, Weston Davidson, Marshall Senger, Tanner Skene, Chanse Switzer.