Calgary cowboy strengthens his bid for a third Canadian championship, while Tanner Eno leads the charge for the $50,000 Finals payday
EDMONTON, Alta. – National Sports News — Hold onto your hats, bull-riding fans. Nick Tetz has his sights on Canadian history, and Tanner Eno has grabbed the front seat in the race for the National Finals crown.
The opening night of the 2026 PBR Canada National Finals delivered two rounds of high-stakes action Friday at Rogers Place, where Tetz covered both his bulls to stretch his national championship lead.
The Calgary rider collected 68 national points, moving his season total to 1,492.83. That puts him 456.83 points ahead of second-place Gilmar Santana, who is sidelined from the Finals by injury.
For Tetz, the target is mighty clear: a third PBR Canada championship, a $100,000 bonus and a share of the national record held by Saskatchewan’s Aaron Roy.
But the weekend event title is a separate showdown — and after Friday’s rides, Eno is the cowboy everyone is chasing.
Tetz answers the opening bell
Tetz wasted no time getting down to business.
The two-time Canadian champion rode Slingin Stones for 86.45 points to win Round 1, then returned to make another qualified ride aboard Whiskey Moon.
Two bulls. Two scores. Another step toward a place in the record book.
Tetz sits fourth in the Finals aggregate heading into Saturday. His work Friday strengthened his season championship position, but there is still riding ahead before the final results are settled.
Eno takes command of the Finals race
Give a tip of the hat to Coronation, Alberta’s Tanner Eno.
Eno opened with an 85.2-point ride aboard Lil Nasty, then stayed aboard Divorce Papers in Round 2 to take the event lead.
PBR Canada’s results table lists his second ride at 88.85 points, bringing his two-round total to 174.05. That gives him a narrow 1.10-point advantage over Brazil’s Luciano De Castro in the chase for the Finals title and its $50,000 cheque.
Eno also collected 52 national points, climbing from 13th to 11th in the season standings.
There is breathing room on that leaderboard — but barely enough for a cowboy to loosen his vest.
De Castro brings the biggest score of the night
Luciano De Castro made his first PBR Canada appearance count.
The Brazilian rider opened with 83.8 points aboard Pay Day. Then came his matchup with Grand Funk, the 2024 PBR Canada Bull of the Year.
De Castro answered with an 89.15-point ride, the highest score of the opening night.
That put the eight-time PBR World Finals qualifier second in the event aggregate at 172.95 points. One of three international invitees competing at the Finals, De Castro heads into Saturday within striking distance of Eno.
Robbins stays close; Coverchuk makes his return count
Camrose, Alberta’s Coy Robbins is right in the thick of it.
The 2017 PBR Canada Rookie of the Year covered Turbo Tax for 85.25 points and Dark Side for 87.45, giving him 172.70 in the aggregate.
That leaves Robbins third, just 1.35 points behind Eno. His 50 national points also lifted him from 12th to 10th in the season standings.
Meanwhile, Saskatchewan’s Cody Coverchuk returned to competition with something to show for it.
Competing for the first time since suffering injuries at a Calgary event in July, the two-time Canadian champion covered both Nacho and Shot Caller. He sits fifth in the Finals standings and moved from 15th to 14th nationally.
After months away, two qualified rides made for a strong opening night back.
Quebec rookies face a Saturday showdown
The Rookie of the Year race is still waiting for its decisive ride.
Quebec’s Jeremy Maisonneuve and Jayden Roy entered the Finals separated by just 41.5 national points. Neither of the 19-year-olds recorded a qualified ride Friday, leaving that gap unchanged.
Maisonneuve heads into Saturday with 475.50 national points, while Roy has 434.
For those two young riders, the next eight seconds could carry a season’s worth of meaning.
National Finals leaders after two rounds
The five riders below were the only competitors to cover both bulls Friday.
| Position | Rider | Round 1 | Round 2 | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tanner Eno | 85.20 | 88.85 | 174.05 |
| 2 | Luciano De Castro | 83.80 | 89.15 | 172.95 |
| 3 | Coy Robbins | 85.25 | 87.45 | 172.70 |
| 4 | Nick Tetz | 86.45 | 85.55 | 172.00 |
| 5 | Cody Coverchuk | 84.25 | 85.25 | 169.50 |
Jordan Hansen, Grady Young, Dakota Buttar, Francisco Costa, Cort McFadden and Aaron Roy each enter Saturday with one qualified ride on the board.
Championship Saturday: time to finish the job
The Command Tubular PBR Canada National Finals, presented by Edmonton’s Best Hotels.com, conclude Saturday, November 14, with Round 3 and the championship round at Rogers Place.
Tetz is chasing a record-tying third national title. Eno is defending a slim event lead. De Castro and Robbins are close enough to make every score matter, while two Quebec rookies still have their own championship battle to settle.
Pull those ropes tight, Edmonton. Championship Saturday has plenty left to decide.
