Coverchuk wins Cody Snyder Invitational
If they weren’t already on their feet, Cody Coverchuck’s winning ride at the Swift Current Cody Snyder Invitational Pro Bull Riding event would have brought the capacity audience at the Credit Union iPlex out of their seats.
Coverchuck held on for an 87.5 point ride aboard tough test Pop Evil and was one of just two bull riders to hold on for eight seconds in the Short Go to walk away with top prize money during the fourth annual Invitational PBR event.
Saturday night’s crowd was already on their feet thanks to the urging of announcer Joe Braniff, and all Coverchuck had to do was make their effort worthwhile in wildly cheering for the lone Saskatchewan rider to advance to the final field of 10 competitors.
Cody Coverchuk from Meadow Lake won the 2014 Swift Current Cody Snyder Invitational championship with a high flying 87.5 point ride aboard Pop Evil.
“I’ve actually watched him growing up coming into bull riding, and I said ‘if I ever draw that bull I’m going to make sure I ride him,’ Coverchuck said. “And tonight it worked out. It’s the first night I got on him,” admitted the 20-year-old from Meadow Lake.
“I knew he was going to be good, but I kind of still underestimated him,” he said of the ride aboard Pop Evil that earned him the highest judging marks of the night.
“Being hometown Saskatchewan and everyone’s behind you like that, you better not mess up or else everyone will just be disappointed,” he said with a chuckle.
Coverchuck felt that overall this year has been going well, but he did some extra work in the days leading up to the Swift Current event to make sure he was totally read.
“I’d actually been in a slump here coming into Swift Current, so I went and got on some practice bulls this week and got feeling good. I came down here with confidence, and it all worked out.”
“It just helps out a lot,” he admitted. “It just gets the fire burning I guess you could say. I’m really ready to go now. I’m going to hit every bull riding event I can now.”
In winning top prize money in Swift Current, Coverchuck knocked off an accomplished field of competitors, including the two time defending Swift Current PBR champion Zane Lambert.
Event organizer Cody Snyder said that it wasn’t just a tough field of competitors, but the bulls were an intimidating test for the field of 30 competitors.
“It went awesome. We’ve always prided ourselves and we’ve said you know if you’re going to have great bull riders come to town, you’ve got to have great bulls. And the Canadian bulls were just phenomenal. It was an all around great pen of bulls.”
In fact, just seven riders posted qualifying eight second rides in the Long Go, with Ty Pozzobon from Merritt, BC having the best qualifier with an 86 point thrill ride aboard Spaghetti Slinger.
“Man, its just the bulls are just so good,” Snyder admitted.
“You always want more, but it shows the calibre of the bulls. There’s some great guys, they got right to the whistles. Zane Lambert was like 7.8, 7.9 (seconds). They were right there, but the bulls were just outstanding. There’s nothing you can do, it’s called sports.”
Snyder was also thrilled to see Saskatchewan’s first competitor top the field of entries during the four year history of Swift Current’s event.
“To see Cody Coverchuk, a kid from Saskatchewan, you know Saskatchewan bleeds Green and White, and it was awesome for that kid to stick it on that bull and get the win here in Swift Current.”
The toughest challenge for Coverchuck’s title hope was Scott Schiffner from Strathmore.
At the inaugural Swift Current Cody Snyder PBR in 2011, Pop Evil carried Schiffner to an 86 point rode and the first championship. Schiffner drew Kish You in the Short Go and held on for a 78.5 point effort, but his combined score placed him second overall.
Swift Current Cody Snyder Invitational Results
1. Cody Coverchuk. Short Go - 87.5 pts.; Long Go - 82.5 pts. Total - 170 pts.
2. Scott Schiffner. Short Go - 78.5 pts; Long Go - 85.5 pts.
3. Ty Pozzobon, Merritt, BC. Long Go - 86.0 pts.
4. Shay Marks, Sunny Brook, AB. Long Go - 83.5 pts.
5. Tyler Pankewitz, Ponoka, AB. Long Go - 83.5 pts.
6. Adam Jamison, New Zealand. Long Go - 81.5 pts.
7. Tyler Thomson, Black Diamond, AB. Long Go - 79.5 pts.
8. Zane Lambert, Westbourne, MB.
9. Tuck Johnson, Browning, MT.
10. Armando Davila Rodriguez, Saltillo Coah, Mexico.