Hartman eyes top prize at PBR South Country Co-op Showdown

By Lethbridge Herald on March 2, 2023.

Photo Courtesy Covy Moore/ CovyMoore.com Chad Hartman is excited to come back to Lethbridge in hopes of winning the PBR stop this weekend.

Lancer, Sask. bull rider Chad Hartman is looking to improve on his third place finish at last year’s PBR Canada Cup Series event in Lethbridge, as the PBR South Country Co-op Showdown returns to  the Enmax Centre tonight and tomorrow night.

It was last year that Hartman excelled where he logged eight top 10 finishes, which included a third place result in Lethbridge in September, finishing a career best ninth place at the PBR Canada National Finals and concluded by placing 15th in the national standings.

“Yeah, Lethbridge has always been good to me and I’m excited to go,” said Hartman.

“So I’m healthy and ready to go in there and hoping to win it. So that’s my game plan for this weekend, ride three bulls and take home the big cheque this weekend.”

Hartman said everybody is excited to go to Lethbridge.

“It’s probably one of the best atmospheres in the building and it’s a college town,” said Hartman.

“(There are) lots of kids there that are loud and exciting and makes for a good event. And it’s tough not to do good when you’ve got an event like that.”

Hartman expects the competition to be tough.

“There’s a lot of guys, and the same with me, they all want to go back to Lethbridge,” said Hartman.

“They all love it. There’s a handful of guys I know and that I’m good buddies with, that are all chomping at the bit (and)ready to go back to Lethbridge. So it won’t be easy to win, but it’ll definitely be a good bull ride to win if you do because everybody else is ready to go.”

Hartman had been competing on the Velocity Tour in the States until the Canadian Cup Series  opened in Red Deer a month ago.

“Yeah, I went down there just because it’s so slow up here in the winter,” said Hartman.

“They don’t get winter like we do. So, you can go rodeo and not have to sit at home. It’s helped a lot. I didn’t do as good as I wanted to, but I definitely have learned lots about being down there and I think I’m riding the best right now …  I’m riding the best I ever have in my life right now and it was good to go.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m a big focuser because I try not to,” said Hartman.

“I use to try and focus on it so hard and you eventually overthink yourself and I mean that is the worst thing you can do when bull riding is think about it.”

Hartman burst on to the PBR scene in 2020, where he made his debut at the Elite Cup Series event in Lethbridge and placed seventh.

After competing in three events in 2020, Hartman found another gear in 2021 where he had three top-10 finishes across all levels of competition and all while qualifying for his first PBR Canada National Finals that November.

He finished 11th place while going 1-for-3 in rides.

Tickets are still available at http://www.enmaxcentre.ca or in person at the box office.

Showtime is 7 p.m. both nights.