North Battleford bull rider surges to sixth nationally, eyes hometown win at annual PBR Classic

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'Make everyone proud'

North Battleford bull rider surges to sixth nationally, eyes hometown win at annual PBR Classic

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Fennig sits sixth in the BRC standings with 2,035 points and $5,990 in earnings, just 40 points behind fifth place. After sitting 21st last month, the climb has come quickly.

He scored 82 points to split second at Cremona, Alta., then finished second overall at Trochu, Alta., after rides of 82.5 and 84.5 points. An 86-point ride carried him to third at Bengough, Sask., followed by a fifth-place finish at Benalto, Alta., and fourth overall at Edgerton, Alta.

Four of those events came in the span of one busy week last week, and he placed at three of them.

“It feels really good to be up there and get North Battleford up in the top six,” he stated.

Behind the climb, Fennig said, was a simpler approach: think less.

Earlier in the season, he began changing the way he approached the moments before the chute opened. Instead of lingering and allowing his mind to take over, he tried to get out quickly and trust the instincts built through years of riding.

“Don’t try and think about nothing,” Fennig said. “My body already knows what to do. Just got to let it do its thing.”

“Everything’s going according to plan now after the shaky start,” he said.

Fennig’s July schedule is not slowing down. He still has a series of events ahead before returning to North Battleford, including Bull Riders Canada stops in Moosomin, Whitewood and Craven.

The one he wants to win

Fennig has been competing at North Battleford’s annual PBR event since before he was old enough to ride with the professionals.

He started in its former junior division, where younger riders were matched with younger bulls. Fennig said he won the competition in each of his first two years.

The professional side has been a different story. Fennig said he has yet to successfully cover a bull at the local event as a professional.

“That’s one that I’ve been wanting to win for a long time. … It would just be real special to have the local guy win.”

The support is already there.

“Like everyone’s a fan. Everyone’s rooting for me,” Fennig said. “It’s an awesome feeling, you know.”

But there is a difference between carrying that support on the road and hearing it from the stands at home.

“It’s more of a special to win in your hometown than it is to win, you know, in a place six hours away,” he said.

“It’d be awesome for the fans alone, you know, to see the hometown guy win; that place would erupt if I ended up coming in first.”

Fennig has spent the past several weeks climbing the standings on rodeo grounds across Western Canada. Now, the road is bringing him back to the event he has wanted to win for years.

“Make everyone proud.”

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com