Merritt professional bull rider Ty Pozzobon has earned a spot at the 2012 Swift Current Cody Snyder Professional Bull Riding Invitational in Saskatchewan on May 26.

Over $15,000 in prize money is up for grabs at the invitational, now in its second year, where Pozzobon will join other Professional Bull Riding (PBR) luminaries, such as Kody Lostroh of Colorado in competition.

Pozzobon is currently the top Canadian competitor on the American PBR circuit.

Meanwhile, Lostroh is the sixth-highest earner among professional bull riders of all time with more than $2.9 million in winnings. Lostroh was the 2009 PBR World Champion.

However, Pozzobon has shown he is more than capable of holding his own against the competition, however accomplished it may be.

The 20-year-old rider, now in his third season, is 13th in the PBR rankings while Lostroh sits at 14th.

This season, Pozzobon has earned nearly $33,000 US at international PBR events and another $5,300 Cdn on the Canadian PBR circuit.

Among those appearances was a second-place showing last Friday in Prince Albert, Sask. There, he won a purse of $4,641.

On March 31, Pozzobon came in seventh in Kansas City, Mo., and took home another $2,850 US.

In addition, Pozzobon has won over $10,000 at rodeos that are not part of the PBR schedule.

Pozzobon has even won big when forced to miss out on events.

The bull rider had secured a berth in the Houston Rodeo bull riding finals last month but had to withdraw to attend the PBR’s Ty Murray Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M.

There, he ultimately came in 14th but won the first round and pocketed $3,980 U.S.

The competition in Swift Current is named for its organizer, retired Albertan bull rider Cody Snyder.