Meadow Lake’s Cody Coverchuk is ready to be called a champion one more time. The two-time Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Canada champ spoke with Northern Pride recently about his 2026 bullring season, and expressed how now is the time he finally rides high at the Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR).
“It’s been kind of a different year for me so far – I’ve been riding a few bulls, but not all of my bulls,” Coverchuk said. “I’ve been placing on every event, but not winning. Things have been OK, but, now, heading into the summer run, things will definitely pick up. My goal is to ride to the best of my ability and to start picking up some wins.” As of press time, Coverchuk had entered four PBR Canada events in 2026 and has placed in all but one of them, starting the season a strong 5-for-8. He’s currently ranked second overall in Canada. “But, I am always looking to be number one for sure,” he added. In addition to PBR Canada, Coverchuk also competes in the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) and Bull Riders Canada (BRC). This past weekend, he competed in three BRC events while this coming weekend he will be competing at an event in Moose Jaw.
“The first event for the 2026 season was actually held back in December in Lloydminster,” Coverchuk continued. “Events are quite scattered early on, however, but will really get going as the warmer weather hits. I’m in the top five in the BRC right now, and have only been to one CPRA event so far this season. My goal is to definitely make the Canadian Finals Rodeo. That’s where I’m going to be placing all my chips. I want to go to the CFR in Edmonton again.” While Coverchuk has competed at the CFR in the past, he has yet to win it. “I would really like to win a Canadian championship on the rodeo side of things – I’ve got the few of the bright lights, but never the feeling of holding the championship buckle which is something I want to do before my career is over,” he noted. This year is also a comeback season for Coverchuk who suffered a major injury when bucked off a bull last summer. “I broke my back last July,” he said. “I broke two vertebrae. I landed on my head in what was one of those freak accidents that can happen. It’s something that comes with the territory – you mess with the bull, you get the horns as they say. Thankfully, I was in really good shape and had been working out pretty hard going into the injury, which I believe really benefited my recovery in the long run. It was more so about getting my mobility back. To this day, I still need to stay on top of that. Once I get going here, it will be about maintaining and keeping my body loose enough to continue to ride.”
Coverchuk has been bull riding since he was 12 years old. “As soon as I turned 18, I turned pro – it’s been about 13 years now,” he said. Coverchuk also explained how much he loves the sport and why he’s stuck with it for so long. “You know, it’s just one of those things,” he said. “I fell in love with the sport at a young age and I was lucky enough to achieve success throughout the various stages of my career. I don’t know why, but I just love the rush of riding the unridable and being able to throw your hands in the air and hear the roar of the crowd. It’s a high for me like no other. It’s my life. I love bull riding, I can’t picture my life without it and I want to take it as far as I can while I can, and just go from there.” And, even though his bull riding career takes him to competitions all over the country, Coverchuk still has never forgotten his hometown fans and the support they have shown him over the years. “I appreciate all the support and hopefully we can bring the Canadian championship or even a world championship back to Meadow Lake,” he said. “That would be pretty cool. I appreciate all the support and all the messages I always receive from the people back home.”