Tanner Byrne has his sights set on winning another championship buckle at this month's Clunie - Cooper Memorial PBR event. (file photo/paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Bull riding

Byrne ‘excited’ to perform for home town crowd

May 16, 2019 | 12:50 PM

Prince Albert’s Tanner Byrne has travelled the world over as a professional bull rider (PBR), competing at some of the biggest stadiums, but admits he still gets butterflies when competing at the Art Hauser Centre.

The Clunie-Cooper Memorial PBR event is scheduled for May 30 and May 31, and Byrne will be among those vying for the championship buckle.

“I love coming to the Art Hauser Centre, the crowd is always behind me 100 per cent,” he said. “It’s always added fun and added pressure here in Prince Albert.”

Byrne was forced to miss the event in 2016 due to injuries, but has bounced back since and is currently ranked 50th in the world according to the PBR Canada website. At a recent PBR event in Nipawin, Byrne placed third.

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“It’s a dangerous sport and it’s not if you are going to get hurt, it’s when and how long you are going to be out for,” he said.

One of the ways Byrne gives back to his community is through a bull riding and bull fighting school, which was held two weeks ago at Rusty Clunie’s arena. Byrne said he enjoys being able to share the knowledge he acquired.

“It’s kind of giving back to the sport which gave me everything that I have right now. I have made a life and a career out of this sport and not many people get to do that,” he said.

The Clunie Cooper Memorial was created as a way to pay tribute to Max Clunie and Wade Cooper, two locals who were heavily involved in the bull riding and rodeo scenes before losing their lives in a 2011 plane crash. Wade’s brother Cam and Prince Albert’s Danny Mantyka were also in the crash.

On the weekend of the big event in Prince Albert, the Max Clunie Ring of Honour also gets awarded to a person involved in the rodeo scene that exemplifies the hard-working nature Max had.

Tanner Byrne holding the Max Clunie Ring of Honour. (File photo/ paNOW Staff)

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell