For Meadow Lake's Cody Coverchuk, there's no better time than rodeo season. (Submitted photo/Cody Coverchuk)

By Martin Martinson

Bull Riding Champion

Meadow Lake’s Coverchuk shines at 100th Anniversary Stampede

Jun 14, 2023 | 3:00 PM

From his earliest days in rodeo on the back of a steer at 12-years-old, to his first bull ride at 15, the Meadow Lake Stampede has always held a special significance for local bull rider, Cody Coverchuk.

Flash forward to today, and more than a decade later, not a lot has changed in that regard for the now two-time Canadian Professional Bull Riding (PBR) Champion, who over the weekend won the bull riding event at the Meadow Lake Stampede’s 100^th Anniversary to advance to sixth in the national standings.

After getting bucked off his first bull Thursday evening, Coverchuk showed ice water in his veins, bouncing back to earn an 85.0 on his second attempt, to win the long round, and sit first overall heading into the short round later in the evening.

There, he took second, earning an 87.0, just back of Grady Young’s 87.5, to come away with the overall bull riding victory, bringing the hometown crowd to their feet in hysterics.

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“It’s always special to ride in front of the hometown crowd,” Coverchuk said of the experience. “It seems like it’s more pressure, but I don’t know what it is with me, when I have my back against the wall that’s when I seem to rise.”

The victory marks his eighth time winning the bull riding in front of friends and family at his home Stampede rodeo.

Almost as though three bulls weren’t enough for one weekend, Coverchuk then hit the road over three hours east to compete in the Elk Ridge PBR the following night (Fri), to ride another two, before returning to Meadow Lake Saturday in time to make his rodeo debut in team roping alongside good friend, Quinn Lavallee.

“Five bulls this weekend and one steer,” Coverchuk said, summing up his weekend as an audible smile crept onto his face.

The decision to branch out and try something new within the rodeo came as a bit of a spur-of-the-moment decision for Coverchuk, but as he’s shown time and again, once committed to something, he is in 100 per cent.

“[Lavallee] called me up one day and said ‘Entries today are for Meadow Lake, should we enter?’ I hemmed and hawed, but then said ‘Yeah, you know what? Let’s do it!’”

A natural in his new rodeo endeavour, Coverchuk and Lavallee won the day in team roping as well, ultimately finishing second overall on the weekend.

“It was really good, that was my first time entering another event other than bull riding, and it worked out. But I’ll tell you this much…I was more nervous team roping than I have been riding a bull, ever,” he said with a laugh.

As for what’s next for Coverchuk, the Meadow Lake Stampede marked just the start of what looks to be a busy summer ahead. He is off to Humboldt for a PBR event this Friday, followed by a return to Meadow Lake for a local team roping Saturday and Sunday.

From there, it’s on to Regina for another PBR event next Wednesday.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1