The top bull riders in Canada will compete at the North Battleford PBR Classic July 27. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Best in Bull Riding

PBR Classic coming to North Battleford

Jul 22, 2022 | 6:04 PM

The Access Communications Centre will be rocking Wednesday night as everyone’s favourite rodeo event comes to town in North Battleford.

The seventh annual McDonald’s Colby Cave Memorial PBR Classic takes place on July 27, featuring over 25 of the top bull riders and bulls from across Canada.

“It’s going to be the best riders who are in Canada right now, and we do have possibly a couple from America and Australia as well, but these guys are the best in the business and these bulls, the same thing,” Committee chairman with the event, Corey Chmelnyk said.

“People always wait for the bull riding at the end of the rodeo, but this is all bull riding.” – Corey Chmelnyk

All proceeds from the event will be donated to charities, including the Ronald McDonald House, Battlefords Trade and Education Centre, and for the first time this year, the Colby Cave Memorial Foundation.

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“That’s big, especially for our community, with the loss of Colby,” Chmelnyk said. “Colby was at our event every year and he loved the bull riding, so we wanted to give something back to him and his foundation and we thought this would be perfect.”

About 1,500 people attend the PBR Classic each year, though coming off a two-year hiatus since the last time the event was held in 2019 pre-pandemic, Chemelnyk estimates this year is likely to exceed that total.

“I think this year, just from the talk around town it seems like there’s a lot of people excited that can’t wait to go,” he said. “We get great support from the Battlefords, and whether it’s Meadow Lake, Lloydminster, Saskatoon, or even Kindersley, we draw from all of them and we’re kind of the centre hub for the big rodeo area and it really brings people from every direction.”

Tickets for the PBR Classic are available for purchase at Austin’s Saddlery in North Battleford and at the door Wednesday night. The event will begin at 7 p.m.

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1