Professional bull rider Ty Pozzobon died this past Monday, according to the Merritt Herald. He was 25.
A native of Merritt, British Columbia, Pozzobon's death is not considered suspicious, and police won't continue an investigation.
Pozzobon was a rising star in the professional bull riding circuit, ranked 23rd in the sport this season. At the beginning of the season, Pozzobon had 14 career top 10 finishes, with career earnings of $250,000.
Following his graduation from Merritt's Secondary School in 2009, Ty Pozzobon became bull riding rookie of the year in. Many considered Pozzobon to be the best bull rider in all of Canada.
Ultimately, the loss of Pozzobon is an untimely and unfortunate loss to the world of professional bull riding. Well loved by the professional bull riding circuit, the bull riding community created an outpouring of support when news of Ty's death broke.
"Ty Pozzobon was a cowboy through and through and loved being a professional bull rider," said PBR CEO Sean Gleason.
Pozzobon was on an upward trajectory, after winning the 2016 Professional Bull Riders Championship. Before Pozzobon's death, the Merritt rider seemed poised to challenge for the World Title in 2017.
All in all, Pozzobon's death is a tragic development in the upcoming Professional Bull Riding season, but his memory will live on in the sport.