Zane Lambert has been around bulls his entire life. Born and raised in Manitoba, his family raised cattle. He says he was born into his career as a professional bull rider.
Lambert, along with 29 other bull riders, will be facing 1500 pound bulls tonight at the Okanagan PBR Challenge.
The tour visits eight cities including Abbotsford and Edmonton.
Lambert loves the thrill of the sport. “Competing against these bulls and competing against the riders, it’s always changing and it’s always different and it keeps me on my toes, keeps me in shape,” he said. “It’s always exciting and it’s a great life to live.”
As two-time and reigning champion, Lambert is a seasoned rider, yet he admits he hasn’t been very successful during this tour so far. He hopes Kelowna will be a turning point.
Jason Davidson, Director of Operations for PBR Canada, says Kelowna was a stop last year for the organization’s smaller tour.
This year, as part of the Monster Energy Tour, he says the audience can expect a difference in the riders because the tour and the stakes are much bigger. That’s because the winner from the tour will get a chance to qualify for the World Finals in Las Vegas, where the prize purse is $3.5 million.
Davidson says Canadians are some of the best competitive bull riders. “We’re just coming off a Global Cup appearance where the guy finished third in Australia, so that’s amongst the best bull riders in the world,” he added.
The event begins at 7pm tonight at Prospera Place. Audience can expect high-energy sound, lighting and special effects to complement the competition.
For more information, visit the PBR Canada website.