From Meadow Lake rodeo kid to national contender: Marshall Senger chasing PBR Canada dream

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Senger recently captured his first PBR Canada event title at the Moose Jaw PBR Challenge on April 25, going a perfect two-for-two before a sold-out crowd. The victory earned him 114 national points, vaulted him from 13th to second in the national standings and put him firmly in the hunt for the 2026 PBR Canada championship. Following the PBR Canada Hamilton Classic on May 30, Senger now sits fifth in the national standings.

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For a rider who grew up watching bull riding from the grandstands and following the footsteps of local heroes, it was a moment years in the making.

“It was really good,” Senger said.

“I ended up bringing two of my good buddies from Meadow Lake down there, and I drew a good bull in the first round, and that I knew I’d get along with, and I rode him, got a good score, and picked the bull in the second round that I knew I’d be a lot of points on. I rode him and got the win. It was quite the blessing.”

In Moose Jaw, Senger posted 83.8 points aboard Nacho in the opening round before sealing the event win with an 86.8-point ride on Black Mamba.

The scores may have made headlines, but the story began long before the lights, music and packed arena.

Bull riding has always been part of Senger’s life.

His father, Fred Senger, rode bulls, and as a child, Marshall grew up seeing photos of him competing. He started on sheep at a young age before climbing aboard his first calf at the Meadow Lake Rodeo in 2014.

What followed was a progression through the ranks. Steer riding. Junior bulls. Amateur events across Saskatchewan and Alberta. Long drives. Countless practices. Hundreds of rides.

“You just got to slowly progress through all the levels and not try and rush anything, and just let it come when it happens,” he said.

By his estimate, Senger has competed in roughly 300 bull riding events and collected up to 20 victories along the way.

(Image Credit: Marshall Senger/Instagram)

There were moments when he began to sense something bigger was possible.

The first came after that steer ride in Meadow Lake.

The second arrived years later after winning events in Bull Riders Canada, a developmental circuit that serves as a stepping stone to the PBR.

“After I had won a couple events in Bull Riders Canada, I realized that, shoot, I belong here, and I can really do good things if I just keep focused and keep trying and keep showing up, and every day, and putting the work in, that I truly make a name for myself.”

That confidence has not come without sacrifice. Bull riding remains one of the most dangerous sports in the world, a reality riders confront every time the gate swings open.

“You kind of get in that bucking chute, and you kind of turn into almost a different person,” Senger said.

“We’re doing a sport you could die in every time you go in there, so you know there’s a lot on the line, so you really just focus up and try your absolute hardest, no matter what happens.”

In 2023, the danger became personal. A shoulder injury required surgery and forced Senger to miss seven months of competition, wiping out an entire summer season.

For many athletes, a setback like that can derail momentum.

Instead, it strengthened his resolve.

Back home, he trains on a bucking machine nearly every day. He runs to stay in shape. He keeps three bucking bulls on his property and regularly practices with fellow riders.

The work has helped transform a local rodeo kid into one of Canada’s fastest-rising bull riders.

Yet even as his profile grows, Senger has never forgotten the people and places that helped him get there.

Among his biggest influences is fellow Meadow Lake rider Cody Coverchuk, one of Canada’s most recognizable names in the sport.

Long before they competed at the same events, Senger watched Coverchuk ride from the stands.

“I remember watching Cody in Meadow Lake plenty of times,” he said.

Today, he considers Coverchuk both a mentor and a friend.

“Cody is one of the greatest guys I’ve met. He’s got a good mindset. He rides bulls really good, and he’s a great guy to learn all the ropes from.”

Cody Coverchuk, a two-time PBR Canada Champion from Meadow Lake. (Photo courtesy: Covy Moore) (Image Credit: Covy Moore/PBR Canada)

Senger also credits the support he receives from home.

“It’s great to have lots of family support behind me, and people of Meadow Lake, I see on social media and stuff, commenting and providing me support and kind of complimenting me and knowing I’m kind of making Meadow Lake proud.”

That support was on his mind in Moose Jaw. So was the realization that he had finally broken through.

“Winning Moose Jaw, that’s a big deal for us bull riders, getting that first PBR event win,” he said.

“You’re hanging with the big dogs, and it kind of gives you that sense of, like, I belong with these guys, these top guys in Canada.”

The victory opened new doors, including an opportunity to compete at a PBR finals event in Corpus Christi, Texas. More importantly, it reinforced what Senger had begun to believe years earlier… that he belongs among the country’s best.

Now, with the season unfolding and a championship race ahead, the Meadow Lake rider is setting his sights on an even bigger prize.

“I want to be the PBR Canada champ this year.”

It is an ambitious goal. But then again, so was the dream that began with a young rider climbing off a steer at the Meadow Lake Rodeo and deciding he wasn’t done yet.

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com