Meadow Lake's Cody Coverchuk has been suspended from the PBR circuit indefinitely, pending the outcome of criminal charges against him. (file photo/meadowlakeNOW Staff) : Tyler Marr

By Tyler Marr

Bull RIDING STAR CHARGED

Coverchuk suspended from PBR pending outcome of criminal charges

Feb 28, 2019 | 6:45 PM

A well known Saskatchewan bull rider has been suspended from the professional circuit pending the result of criminal charges brought against him.

Meadow Lake’s Cody Coverchuk was arrested on Dec. 14, when members of the RCMP’s Crime Reduction Team stopped a vehicle near Loon Lake.

The 24-year-old was found to be violating a number of court-ordered conditions as a result of charges laid by Lloydminster RCMP earlier in 2018 and was arrested.

Police found 21 grams of suspected methamphetamine and 20 grams of suspected cocaine.

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They charged Coverchuk with with two counts of failure to comply with recognizance, and possession of cocaine and methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking.

He will stand trial Oct. 17 for these charges in Loon Lake.

Coverchuk is also set to appear in Lloydminster Provincial Court on March 4 for a weapons charge, two trafficking charges, and one count of possession of counterfeit money, all stemming from earlier in 2018.

A spokesperson for PBR Canada told battlefordsNOW in an emailed statement the charges violate the organization’s personal conduct policy.

“Cody has been suspended immediately and indefinitely from PBR events pending the outcome of these criminal charges,” they wrote.

Coverchuck was the Canadian Professional Rookie of the Year in the pro Rodeo Canada rankings in 2018. He won his first PBR Canada Champion after a fierce title race in Saskatoon in November.

Reached for comment, Coverchuk referred battlefordsNOW to his Edmonton-based lawyer Lisa Trach, who was unable to comment prior to publishing deadline.

In a Facebook post published Monday and signed by Coverchuk, he wrote that he never thought he “would be considering hanging up the bull rope this early in my life.”

He went on to reminisce about his past successes, including competing at the Calgary Stampede in 2017, noting it was “nothing short of amazing.”

Coverchuk wrote how being faced with not being able to ride in the PBR or compete at the Stampede, he finds himself “stuck at the most difficult cross road i (sic) have faced yet in my 24 years.”

“i (sic) have made some poor choices in my life and now i have to deal with the repercussions that come with the choices i have made,” he wrote.

“I have come to the conclusion that if i’m unable to compete in the pbr and the Calgary Stampede this year i (sic) will be stepping away from being a professional bull rider indefinitely,” he wrote. “I would just like to take the time to thank the my (sic) family, my sponsors… and my fans for standing in my corner throughout my career. Everything happens for a reason and i (sic) truly believe that.”

— with files from Brady Lang

—

tyler.marr@jpbg.ca, brady.lang@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr, @bradylangBFN