PRORODEO Sports News - August 8, 2025

By Kensie Darst-Todd, Special to PRORODEO Sports News KYLE LUCAS TAKES TIE-DOWN ROPING CROWN IN SPANISH FORK

I n a tie-down roping field stacked with world champions and sea soned gunslingers, it was Canadian cowboy Kyle Lucas who rose to the occasion at the Spanish Fork (Utah) Fiesta Days Rodeo. With two smooth runs, Lucas proved that sharp think ing and experience can outpace pres sure, and it paid off with a coveted average title. "I've got some things I know that work, and some things I know that don't," Lucas said. "You almost have to guard your mind out there, espe cially going into that second round. It's easy to overthink when you're trying to protect a good first run." Lucas posted a strong opening-round time with a 7.8-second run, then returned with precision and patience to lock in the average win. With big names like back-to-back PRCA World Champion Riley Webb and 15-time NFR qualifier Shane Hanchey backing into the box with the same goal, Lucas stayed focused on the job.

"I talked to Tuff Cooper before the second run, asking him if I could get by with a single wrap," Lucas said. "He just big-brothered me and said, 'No, you're putting two on no matter what.' That stuck with me. It remind ed me to rope smart and not cut corners." Lucas leaned on fellow tie-down roper Logan Bird's seasoned horse Peso in Spanish Fork, a mount he's come to rely on throughout the season. "Logan and I both rode Peso there," Lucas said. "He's solid and I felt confi dent going in." The victory adds to a growing list of major wins for Lucas in 2025, includ ing a standout performance at the La Fiesta De Los Vaqueros in Tucson, Ariz., where Lucas won both the event and the average championship titles earlier in February. The momentum comes at a critical time, with the summer run in full

swing and drawing near the end of the season. Lucas is currently ranked No. 10 in the Bill Fick | PRCA World Standings, and he's determined to qualify for his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo — an achievement that's been years in the making. "I don't see myself as a kid out here anymore. I've made those rookie mistakes in the past," he said. "Now, it's about maturity. You can't control what the other guys do. If it's your turn, it's your turn. And if it's in God's plan, no one can stop it." Motivated by faith, family and a life long love of roping, Lucas continues to chase top finishes while balancing a full summer schedule between U.S. and Canadian rodeos. "Winning big rodeos like this, it just reminds me I'm doing what I'm meant to do," he said. "I don't win or lose - I win or learn. And I'm grateful either way."

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