Nobles: ‘World Finals was the greatest experience I ever had in my life’
By: Justin Felisko
DULUTH, Ga. – Lane Nobles did not expect his phone to ring at the start of the 2022 Unleash The Beast season.
Nobles was grateful that he pulled off a dream come true last year, qualifying for his first PBR World Finals into a Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour wild card berth. However, Nobles also knew going 1-for-5 at the World Finals, even with a 90.25-point ride on Butterbean, was not enough to merit him earning a draw spot for the UTB season-opener in Indianapolis on New Years Day.
The 30-year-old understood that if he wanted to get back to the World Finals this year, which will be held in his native Texas on May 13-22 in Fort Worth, he had to tremendously improve upon last year’s 43rd-place finish in the world rankings.
“To be honest with you, going to the Finals was a huge thing for me, but I know I didn’t finish where I needed to, and I know I didn’t have the greatest Finals either,” Nobles said minutes after winning the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour’s Denver PBR Chute Out at the National Western Stock Show. “I want to be back at the World Finals. That was the greatest experience I ever had in my life. I am thankful and grateful to be back. I am ready to be back at the Finals, but it is a long road. A lot of bulls to go still. A lot of events and time away, but I am looking forward to it.”
Nobles is already off and running as the first Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour event win of his career in Denver has him sitting No. 31 in the world standings and earned him an invite to this weekend’s PBR Gwinnett Invitational in Duluth, Georgia. Nobles is 4-for-5 in two Velocity Tour events this season.
Nobles will make his UTB season debut on Saturday vs. Twisted Feather (6:30 p.m. ET on RidePass on Pluto TV) inside Gas South Arena. Nobles went a flawless 3-for-3 in Denver, notching the victory with an 88.5-point ride on Two Socks. Nobles began the marquee event with 86.5 points on Hard Times and 87 points on Buck Wild.
“It was a dogfight,” Nobles said of Two Socks. “I never felt good on him. He was built like a wall and was solid. Hard as a rock and made of muscle. I knew he was going to be strong, and dang it, he was. I feel like half the time, I was looking up at the ceiling, just trying to get back down to give it to him. It was a dogfight. Not an easy one for sure. It never felt good.”
Traditionally, Denver is one of the most prestigious non-UTB events on the first half calendar. Nobles won a career-best $19,844.48 there and will look to be the latest rider to build off Denver with a strong season. Four of the past five event winners went on to qualify for the PBR World Finals that same season – Taylor Toves (2020), Cody Nance (2019), Kaique Pacheco (2017) and Derek Kolbaba (2016). 2015 World Finals event winner Cooper Davis also won the Denver event that year.
Duluth will be just the sixth premier series event of Nobles’ career after he dealt with injuries, including a broken neck when he was 19 years old, and had been primarily focused on his PRCA career until last year.
Nobles went 2-for-10 in five UTB events in 2021, and he is excited to now try and ride on the PBR’s premier level for an entire season.
“This (win) is really big for me,” Nobles concluded. “I am just glad I have decided to come to the PBR after all this time. I have to stay focused and dedicated to it. Denver dang sure catapults me to get up there, getting a big win and points. I am looking forward to the rest of the year, and the goal is to stay on as many as I can. Make as much money as I can. Get as many points as I can.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Photo courtesy of Andre Silva/Bull Stock Media
© 2021 PBR Inc. All rights reserved.