Buttar continues to roll in return from injury, wins Medicine Hat PBR title

“There’s no better feeling than making a good ride and all of your buddies are going wild in the chute,” said Buttar. “It’s just an awesome feeling.”

Buttar was one of just two riders to stay on their bulls for the whole eight seconds in the championship round, with the other being Okotoks’ Jordan Hansen.

It’s been a return to greatness for the Kindersley, Saskatchewan native after suffering a potentially season-ending shoulder injury back in April.

Buttar said there are some nerves getting back on the bull, but his shoulder has held up well since his return earlier this month.

“Kind of nervous to come back because I didn’t know how the shoulder would feel,” he said. “It still needs to get fixed so it still can hurt me every now and then, but it hasn’t so I’m pretty thankful. But, things have been going good and I hope I can keep it rolling.”

Buttar has been rock solid in his four shows since coming back from injury, picking up a PBR Moose Jaw title and two other top-four finishes.

He said over the last two weeks he’s been locked in the zone both physically and mentally.

“Bull riding is a big mental game, I would say almost 90 percent of it is in your head,” he said. “If you believe you can do it, you can pretty well do it in this sport. If you don’t think you can, you’re not going to.”

Buttar’s seismic return to the PBR Canada circuit has been impressing many of his competitors, including top-ranked Canadian Jared Parsonage.

“He’s a super-talented bull rider, always has been,” said Parsonage. “He’s going to win when he’s healthy and going. It’s good to see him come back from an injury and do good, I’m happy for him.”

The hometown favourite on Saturday night, the Maple Creek, Saskatchewan product wasn’t able to win the day money in his return to the southeast.

After tying for fourth place in the opening round with an 82 on Full Throttle, Parsonage lost the handle just before the buzzer sounded in his championship ride to finish his evening tied for fifth.

“He was bucking and he just kind of weakened off a little bit,” said Parsonage. “I got going a little too fast, he’s not very big. Just kind of the way she goes, a minor error, when bulls buck that hard it doesn’t usually go good.”

The evening was halted to a stop in the opening round, as Claresholm’s Logan Biever was knocked unconscious after being thrown from Certified & Tested early in his ride.

Biever was eventually loaded onto a stretcher and transported out of the building, however he was awake and conscious and able to move his limbs at that time.

Saturday’s contest meanwhile was a watershed moment for PBR competition in southeastern Alberta, returning to Medicine Hat for the first time since 2005 at the old Medicine Hat Arena.

Delighting a few thousand spectators at the Canalta Centre, Buttar said he was impressed with the atmosphere and turnout.

“It’s a beautiful building here,” he said. “The crowd was awesome, this place was full tonight and they were into it and cheering loud.”

Competing in front of friends and family in Medicine Hat, Parsonage added he would love the chance to return to more indoor competition in the area.

“I thought it really exceeded expectations honestly, it was awesome” he said. “The crowd was great, the bull riding was great, just happy the producers did a good job and everything. So, I think it was a good product and I hope it keeps going.”

The Canadian Touring Pro Division class will carry onto the Cluny Lions PBR on Canada Day, while many will return for the 2019 Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede Rodeo from July 25 to 27.

by Scott Roblin

Buttar continues to roll in return from injury, wins Medicine Hat PBR title

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