PUEBLO, Colo. – June is going to be a month of milestones for Lane Lasley, but before he turns 21 years old on Sunday or gets married to his fiancé, Kaleigh Dixon, next weekend, Lasley decided to check off another item on his bucket list.
The North Little Rock, Arkansas, bull rider went 2-for-2 in Moline, Illinois, at the iWireless Center on Saturday night to earn his first career BlueDEF Velocity Tour event victory.
“It is awesome because I have taken second and third before and it seemed like every time I should be winning it somebody else would ride,” Lasley said. “It felt like it was so hard to accomplish.
“It has been a longtime coming.”
Lasley earned the victory by riding Closing Time for 87.5 points for the only ride of the championship round.
There was some confusion at first over whether or not Lasley made a qualified ride because of a malfunction with the clock, but there was no doubt inside the three-time Arkansas High School Rodeo bull riding state champion’s mind.
“Internally, I thought I had rode him for a while,” Lasley said. “Luckily, I made it work.”
Lasley had never seen Closing Time, who has bucked off Built Ford Tough Series riders such as J.B. Mauney and Kasey Hayes, but when he saw his draw he had multiple riders tell him he could potentially win the Moline event with him.
Lasley entered the championship round sitting ninth in the average following his 83-point ride aboard Hello Darling.
Rookie Cooper Davis won the long round by riding his re-ride bull – Back in Black – for 87.5 points, which tied with Lasley’s ride for the top-marked ride of the event.
However, Davis bucked off Thom Horn in 3.48 seconds in the championship round and finished second overall for 50 points toward the world standings. The second-place finish pushes Davis ahead of Cody Nance (1-for-2) for the 16th position in the world standings.
Fellow rookie Mason Lowe placed third with 86.5 points on his re-ride, Air Up There, in the long round. Lowe earned 30 points toward the world standings and moves ahead of L.J. Jenkins for 22nd in the world.
World No. 2 Matt Triplett finished in fourth place with his 85.5-point ride on Last Call, and fellow Top-10 rider Reese Cates rounded out the Top 5 with an 85-point effort on Grey Man. Triplett earned 20 points toward the standings and Cates picked up 15 points.
Dixon said she was glad there were no cameras focused on her as each championship round ride attempt went by. She couldn’t sit still while her future husband sat atop the shark cage with in-arena announcer Matt West waiting to see if his two rides would be enough for the win.
“I was jumping up and down and screaming and balling like a crazy little kid,” Dixon said with a laugh. I wouldn’t change it though. I am so happy. Tomorrow is his birthday and this is a great birthday present. He has just worked so hard. Now, he accomplished one of his goals and I am super proud of him.”
Lasley earned 80 points toward the world standings, which is more than the 70 total he had to his credit this season. He knows he has an uphill battle this summer if he hopes to make his goal of qualifying for the Built Ford Tough World Finals.
The win moves him to 59th in the world standings and he trails No. 35 Alexandre Cardozo by 212.5 points for a potential spot on the BFTS.
Still, no dream is achieved without hard work along the way.
“I am supposed to be on the Built Ford Tough and that is where I need to be and am going to be,” Lasley concluded. “It is just God’s timing, and I think he is definitely preparing me to ride at that level. I am just trying to stay consistent and ride each bull that is thrown underneath me.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
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