REGINA -- Saskatchewan bull riders have found major success on the Maple Leaf Canada Pro Rodeo Circuit, with four of the top seven riders heading into this year’s finals at Agribition from the province.

“Guys from Saskatchewan, I’d say we’re gritty, we ride gritty,” said Cody Coverchuk from Meadow Lake. “We don’t’ quit, there’s no quit in us. I don’t know if it’s because we have to drive a lot farther and it costs a lot more to get everywhere.”

Coverchuk, and fellow bull riders Todd Chotowetz, Ty Ellis and Jared Parsonage are all on the circuit, but have been running into each other at rodeos for a decade. Parsonage, from Maple Creek, said he even ran into Ellis, from Sonningdale, when they were in elementary school.

“We were team roping in the little kids rodeo’s when we were eight, nine, even ten years old before we rode bulls,” Parsonage said.

Ellis said the Saskatchewan portion of the tour doesn’t feel like competitors, but more of a family.

“Almost like we’re married. I see them more than I see my significant other,” Coverchuk said.

Chotowetz, from Major, Sask. says the real competition is against yourself.

“We’re really not competing against each other, really. The way I look at it, you gotta ride your bull and other than that, may the best man win,” he said.

The four bull riders are ranked within the top 16 on the Maple Leaf Circuit. Of the 58 Pro Rodeo stops in 2019, just two were in Saskatchewan. Ellis believes their success this year is because of the distance they have to travel to compete.

“The majority [of rodeos] are in Alberta, so you’re travelling lots. Usually you’re only going if you’re winning. I think that’s why us four have been doing really good,” Ellis said.

Now, the opportunity to ride in front of a home crowd for the finals could be a huge advantage.

“Saskatchewan is really sentimental to Saskatchewan. The crowd really stands behind you,” Coverchuk said.

Ellis said he isn’t used to the attention of competing in Regina.

“You definitely see a lot more familiar faces in the crowd and it’s kind of nice to get a few texts every once in a while, saying ‘oh I saw you last night’, so that's pretty cool,” Ellis said.

The Maple Leaf Circuit Finals will conclude on Saturday at the Brandt Centre.