Game Notes – Medicine Hat

MAKING MOVES IN MEDICINE HAT – This weekend, for the sixth time in history, PBR Canada’s elite Cup Series will buck into Medicine Hat, Alberta. The PBR Medicine Hat Classic, presented by Art’s Excavating, the ninth elite tour event of the season, will be held at Co-op Place on Saturday, October 17. The competition will begin at 7 p.m. MDT.

RELATED: Click here for the complete Medicine Hat Game Notes. 

THIS WEEKEND’S FORMAT – The PBR Medicine Hat 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.

ROBBINS RACKS UP FIRST CUP SERIES WIN – When the Cup Series was last in action roughly two weeks ago, one rider, reached a career milestone, recording his first Cup Series victory. As a sold-out, record-setting crowd watched on inside Bonnetts Energy Centre in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Coy Robbins swept both rounds of competition en route to winning the PBR Peace Country Invitational. As action got underway in Round 1, Robbins delivered what would prove to be the high-marked ride of the event, conquering Burnt Ends for 87.5 points. With the first pick in the championship round bull draft, Robbins elected to go head-to-head with Snoopy as his final animal athlete opponent that evening. In what proved to be a perfect pairing, the 2017 PBR Canada Rookie of the Year covered the bull with ease en route to a championship round-best 87.3 points, clinching the event win. Courtesy of the golden showing, Robbins earned a crucial 136 national points. He surged from No. 16 to No. 7 in the race for the 2026 PBR Canada Championship and accompanying $100,000 bonus. He now trails No. 1 Nick Tetz by 993.33 points. Robbins will look to continue his climb up the standings this weekend in Medicine Hat when he climbs aboard Almost Famous in Round 1.

TETZ CONTINUES TO ROLL – This season, Nick Tetz is riding in seemingly unstoppable form as he chases his record tying third national title. At the most recent Cup Series event in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Tetz extended his sizeable lead atop the national standings courtesy of a runner-up result, going 2-for-2 to net 84 national points. The Alberta phenom rode Cheeko for 84.8 points in Round 1 and More or Less for 87.2 points in the championship round. The silver showing allowed Tetz to grow his lead to 356.83 points over No. 2 Gilmar Santana. This season, Tetz has been riding at a torrid pace, currently 31-for-47 having covered 65.96% of his animal athlete opponents. Tetz has also tallied eight event wins and 14 round wins across all levels of PBR competition in Canada, while also having logged the lone 90-point ride of the season on home soil. He will look to continue his winning ways this weekend inside Co-op Place, first tasked with Bail Money.

PAST MEDICINE HAT EVENT WINNERS – When the Cup Series last travelled to Medicine Hat in October 2025, welcoming a sold-out, record-setting crowd, Callum Miller showed up and showed out, going a perfect 2-for-2 to win the Medicine Hat Classic, cracking the Top 15 in the race for the 2025 Canadian Championship and accompanying $100,000 bonus. Miller was dominant in Round 1, posting the top score when he outlasted Black Mamba for 86.5 points. With the first pick in the championship round bull draft, Miller than elected to go head-to-head with Get Rhythm. Proving to be a perfect pairing, Miller was a near picture of perfection atop the powerful animal athlete, reaching the whistle for an event-best, and victory-clinching 89 points. Courtesy of the golden finish, Miller earned a critical 136 national points. He climbed from No. 28 to No. 13 in Canada. Other past Cup Series winners include: Nick Tetz (2024), Jordan Hansen (2023), Brock Radford (2022) and Zane Lambert (2021).

In 2019, the PBR debuted in the Alberta city, hosting a stop on the developmental Touring Pro Division. As one of two riders to deliver a perfect performance, Dakota Buttar captured his second PBR Canada event win of the season. Buttar’s evening began strong in Round 1, recording the second highest marks when he reached the 8-second whistle aboard Broken Trigger for 85 points. Continuing the momentum, the then 26-year-old remained flawless in Medicine Hat when he recorded the high-marked ride of the event, scored 88.5 points on Spooky Lukie in the championship round. For his efforts, Buttar earned 320 Canadian points, propelling him from No. 12 to No.5 in the standings. 

2025 Callum Miller
2024 Nick Tetz
2023 Jordan Hansen
2022 Brock Radford
2021 Zane Lambert
2019 Dakota Buttar

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

• Gilmar Santana will look to remain perfect aboard Full Metal Jacket. Santana rode the bull for 84.2 points earlier this season at the Touring Pro Division event in Ponoka, Alberta.

• Tanner Eno will attempt to crack the code atop Bon Jovi. Eno has attempted the bull twice prior, unsuccessful in both outings. When the two first danced at the 2025 Cup Series event in Lethbridge, Alberta, Eno was tossed in 2.76 seconds. Their rivalry was renewed this past May at the Cup Series event in Brandon, Manitoba, with Eno lasting just 2.59 seconds.

• Aaron Roy will look to even the score against Dark Side. In their one meeting on record, Roy was bucked off in 3.47 seconds at this May’s Touring Pro Division event in Camrose, Alberta.

• Austin Paley will face the final rematch when he climbs aboard Super Fly. The powerful animal athlete upended Paley in 3.31 seconds at this May’s Touring Pro Division stop in Brooks, Alberta.

NEXT UP – Next weekend, the 2026 PBR Canada Sup Series will next travel to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and SaskTel Centre for the PBR Saskatoon Classic, presented by Redhead Equipment and Case IH, on Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24. Action will get underway nightly at 7 p.m. CST.   

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

 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

 

MEDICINE HAT COMPETITORS BY COUNTRY

Brazil (2) – Francisco Costa, Gilmar Santana

Canada (26) – William Barrows, Kayden Budde, Dakota Buttar, Tyler Craig, Weston Davidson, Lucas Dunand, Tanner Eno, Mason Hamilton, Jordan Hansen, Griffin Koester, Jett Lambert, Nash Loewen, Jeremy Maisonneuve, Eric O’Flynn, Austin Paley, Coy Robbins, Aaron Roy, Jayden Roy, Ashton Sahli, Marshall Senger, Chanse Switzer, Dixon Tattrie, Nick Tetz, Stefan Tonita, Lonnie West, Grady Young

BREAKDOWN BY PROVINCE –

Alberta – William Barrows, Kayden Budde, Tyler Craig, Lucas Dunand, Tanner Eno, Mason Hamilton, Jordan Hansen, Griffin Koester, Jett Lambert, Austin Paley, Coy Robbins, Ashton Sahli, Dixon Tattrie, Nick Tetz, Lonnie West; British Columbia – Nash Loewen, Eric O’Flynn; Quebec – Jeremy Maisonneuve, Jayden Roy;  Saskatchewan – Dakota Buttar, Weston Davidson, Aaron Roy, Marshall Senger, Chanse Switzer, Stefan Tonita, Grady Young.