Fort St. John bull rider wins PBR Red Deer Classic

RED DEER, ALTA. — Fort St. John bull rider Jake Gardner took home the top prize at the season launch of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Canada Elite Cup Series in Red Deer on February 3rd.

Gardner took home $9,600 in prize money after an impressive two rides totalling 172 points.

Gardner rode a bull named Broken Pearl to victory in the championship round on Saturday. They are familiar with one another as Gardner rode the bull to 13th place in the PBR Canada National Finals in Edmonton last year.

He says familiarity with his bull played a role in his success.

“Those bulls are in the short round for a reason,” said Gardner. “I chose Broken Pearl because he’s very consistent and has a good bucking pattern. I chose him because I knew he would give me a high enough score to be placed at the top.”

A professional rider for seven years, Gardner first cut his teeth on his father’s farm riding sheep as a kid.

Gardner went on to participate in local rodeos and had success before becoming a professional bull rider in 2017.

“I eventually got on steers. For me, bull riding is the most dangerous, most adrenaline-filled event. That’s why I ran with it. It’s allowed me to travel worldwide and given me many opportunities.”

He described his victory, which included a score of 87 on his final ride, as a combination of preparation and luck.

“You’ve got ten other guys in the final round. It depends on what they do as well. The competitor before me had ridden his bull before, so I was sure he’d ride him. But he ended up bucking off.”

“Sometimes the bull doesn’t buck as hard. If that happens, you’ll get a low score.”

With the victory under his belt, Gardner has his sights set on loftier goals. In particular, he’d like to win the PBR National Finals in Edmonton this November. 

Eventually, he’d also like to make the PBR World Finals this year, which will be held in Dallas, Texas.

“If you want to do something, you want to be the best at it,” said Gardner.

Up next for Gardner, he will compete in the PBR’s Unleash the Beast event in Salt Lake City, Utah, on February 9th.