Kyle Lucas – When A Plan Comes Together

Kyle Lucas checked a couple more boxes off his 2018 game plan over the Labour Day weekend.

The second generation roper split second and third at the Armstrong IPE and Stampede – final stop on the Finning Pro Tour – then added a win in the Shoot-Out Finals to propel him to the Finning Tour tie-down title and the accompanying bye into next year’s Calgary Stampede. And the 24 year old two-event cowboy wasn’t done there. Lucas split two-three with 2016 World Champion, Tyson Durfey, at Ellensburg, Washington for an additional $2362. payday.

Lucas tied his calf in a quick 8.1 (seconds) at Armstrong in his 2-3 split – which netted him $3439, and set the stage for his Shoot-Out win where his 8.5 second run topped the field and gave him the $2400 first place cheque. The two Armstrong successes also (unofficially) garnered Lucas 235 Finning Pro Tour points for a season total of 685 and the Pro Tour title.

“It was a really good weekend for sure,” the tall Carstairs, AB roper acknowledged. “But I was pretty nervous in the Shoot-Out rodeo. I had the benefit of going last and some guys had some bad luck, so I knew I just had to be solid. But sometimes, when it’s wide open like that, you can over-think it and mess up. I just tried to make sure I was okay at the barrier, then I ran the calf out a bit further and tried to be good on the ground.”

The son of four time Canadian Champion, Joe Lucas, was especially happy that the weekend clinched a second appearance at the Calgary Stampede. “I was there last year for the first time. It’s such a cool rodeo; it’s great to be going back.”

Lucas went on to say that his 2018 season’s goals included seasoning a green horse, qualifying for the Columbia River Circuit Finals in Yakima, WA and getting back to the CFR. More boxes checked.

With his solid horse, Fletch, doing a lot of the heavy lifting throughout the season – including at Armstrong – Lucas made sure his young horse profited from seeing lots of places. Now, with his ticket punched to both Yakima and Red Deer, there are still one or two items left on Lucas’ ambitious check-list.

“I’m trying to make a last-minute push to get to the CFR in the team roping as well,” he noted. “I’ll be roping with (two time Canadian Champion) Dustin Bird at these next Canadian rodeos. And we’re hoping to be roping together at the Grass Roots Final as well… which could make the difference.”

Lucas knows all about the importance of the Grass Roots Final as it was a last day go-round win one year ago that enabled him to qualify for the 2017 CFR in the tie-down roping.

Like Kyle Lucas, Dawson Hay is another young cowboy with a Canadian Champion father (in eight time titleist, Rod Hay). The third generation bronc rider had a stand-out weekend as he picked up the Finning Pro Tour Shoot-Out win in Armstrong with an impressive 87.25 point ride on Calgary Stampede Rodeo’s T-38 Timely Delivery for $2400. He added an 83 point effort at the 60th annual Nicola Valley Pro Rodeo in Merritt, BC on Northcott-Macza’s 239 My Mistake for $1275 to win that event too. The resulting $3675 will vault the young talent into the top five in the Canadian bronc riding standings.

Hermiston, Oregon cowgirl, Callahan Crossley, enjoyed a lucrative weekend in the ladies barrel racing – posting a 15.876 second run at the Armstrong Tour Rodeo for the win (and $3990) then adding $1140 to her late season haul by taking top honours at Merritt. The additional $5130 will boost the two time CFR qualifier several notches on the Finals roster.

Additional 2018 Finning Pro Tour Shoot-Out winners were Michael Solberg (bareback), Craig Weisgerber (steer wrestling), Tuftin and Tyce McLeod (team roping), Taylor Manning (barrel racing) and Jordan Hansen (bull riding).

Overall Finning Pro Tour Champions will be formally declared once points are verified and made official.

For complete unofficial results from Armstrong’s IPE and Stampede and the Merritt Nicola Valley Pro Rodeo, go to rodeocanada.com.

This week CPRA competitors head west of Edmonton to the Medicine Lodge Fall Roundup – slated for Sept 8.

About the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association
The Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) with headquarters in Airdrie, Alberta is the sanctioning body for professional rodeo in Canada. The CPRA approves over 50 events annually with a total payout exceeding $5.1 million. The organization holds the Grass Roots Final September 27-28 at Stampede Park in Calgary, Alberta and their premiere event – the Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR) – at the ENMAX Centrium, Westerner Park in Red Deer, Alberta, October 30 – November 4. Follow the CPRA on Twitter and Instagram @prorodeocanada, ‘Like’ Canadian Professional Rodeo Association on Facebook or online at RodeoCanada.com.

Courtesy of CPRA