Dakota Buttar after his third win of the season in North Battleford. (Facebook photo/Dakota Buttar)

By Keaton Brown

Bull riding brilliance

Two Saskatchewan bull riders have sights set on world championship in Las Vegas

Nov 7, 2019 | 7:08 AM

Two Saskatchewan boys are amongst the field of 40 competitors at the 2019 Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Unleash the Beast World Finals in Las Vegas from November 6 to 10.

Maple Creek’s Jared Parsonage and Kindersley’s Dakota Buttar are riding bulls in the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas this week, vying for their chance to be crowned world champion.

Buttar leads the duo coming into the event. He is set to make his fourth consecutive appearance at the PBR World Finals. He is also a two-time Glen Keeley Award winner, which recognizes the top Canadian bull rider at the PBR World Finals.

Buttar is ranked number 27 in the world after going 20 for 49 (40.82 per cent) during the Unleash The Beast season with five top 10 finishes. He finished seventh and tenth place at two major events in Nashville and Los Angeles respectively.

Contributing to his rise in the world rankings was his dominance on home soil, which led to him briefly holding down the top spot in Canadian national standings. He won a league-leading five PBR Canada events this year, amassing 445 world points and going an impressive 25 for 39 (64.1 per cent). He currently ranks at number two in the country, a slim 32.49 points behind leader Parsonage.

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Rodeo fans in the Battlefords will be familiar with the name Dakota Buttar as he won his third PBR Canada title of the season in North Battleford in July.

Joining the Buttar this year and making his first appearance at the World Finals will be Jared Parsonage.

He is regarded as one of Canada’s most consistent riders, going 36 for 62 (58.06 per cent) at Canadian events in 2019. The 26-year-old currently holds down the number one ranking nationally and number 39 in world rankings.

This was Parsonage’s first year in the Unleash The Beast circuit, competing in three events since January.

The two athletes will have their work cut out for them this weekend as they try to climb the world rankings and claim their share of the $2.5 million prize pool.

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Keaton.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow