08/11/2020
Dakota Buttar. Champion. He has claimed two pro rodeo titles. He has won events on the PBR Unleash the Beast Tour. But after a decision to focus on his home soil of Canada, setting the goal to claim a PBR Championship in Canada, a title he has been runner up twice previously. He will be the only professional western sports athlete crowned a champion in this country in 2020.
There was nothing normal about this season. A strong start to 2020 to the shutdown caused by the pandemic and then PBR Canada's drive to bring back events in a safe and meaningful way, no competitor or production staff member had it easy. Five years of momentum created by this great group of passionate humans was certainly slowed, but as was said in production meetings all weekend, when this group gets together, it's almost like no time has passed. So with the 2020 season behind us, I would like to thank a few people.
To the competitors, bullfighters and stock contractors of PBR Canada. Thank you for always allowing me and my cameras into your world. I love this sport. There is no more passionate group of athletes and stakeholders to be lucky enough to chronicle on this planet. I may not have grown up dreaming of being a cowboy, Willie Nelson says it best. I look up to each and every one of you. Keep up the passion, 2021 is shaping up.
To Jason Davidson, Blaine Fyson and the ownership and administrative group of PBR Canada. Thanks for allowing me to be the still image storyteller and be a part of the team. Thank you for jumping through every hoop and the financial risk and sacrifice to put on these events. I am looking forward to seeing what we can get done in 2021.
To the rest of the group that makes these events happen. Announcers, sound guys, video production team, pyrotechnicians, steel team and sports medicine. I thank you for everything you do. No one gets to prosper without the work you all do. We all have jobs to do on this tour and you all do them amazingly. I enjoyed getting to know some of those I didn't know as well this year, and look forward to rolling into whatever city, whatever venue and seeing this group doing a bang up job.