PRORODEO Sports News - Sept. 9, 2026

“I’m just glad he was really more seri ous about his calf roping and didn’t go as hard in bull riding because he was just one of the toughest guys to get on the ground ever. He was just that tough, so you knew you were going to have to beat him. “I’m glad he took roping more seriously and the all-around fit in his plans with bull riding. He never dedicated himself to being the champ in bull riding. You know what I mean? He was a champion calf roper, but he could kick your ass in a bull riding. The top three cowboys (of all-time) in my book are Larry Mahan, Ty Murray and Phil Lyne.” Lyne qualified for the NFR six times – tie-down roping (1970, 1971, 1972, 1973); and bull riding (1971, 1972). He added 10 more qualifications to the National Finals Steer Roping – 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, and 1990. “I was never one of those people who set goals,” Lyne said in “A Com plete History of the First 50 Years of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo”. “I just wanted to do my best every time I went out there. I always thought that when you set a goal, you gave yourself a stop ping point. I just always wanted to be the best I could be from the day I started rodeo in high school. I loved doing it. I started calf roping and eventually started riding bulls. Everything just fell into place for me all along the line. “After a while, I would get to an airport pretty loaded up with stuff, but I liked doing it all. I had friends in every event, and they

helped me out a lot. When I was steer wrestling, I rode horses that belonged to Jim Smith and Roy Duvall.” Lyne was inducted into the 1979 inaugural class of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colo. Lyne grew up in George West, Tex as. He started out in the Texas Youth Rodeo Association, then the National High School Rodeo Association, and the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association at several Texas colleges starting and ending up with Sam Houston State University in Hunts ville, Texas, with stints at colleges in Uvalde and San Marcos. By the time Lyne entered PRORODEO in 1969, he had won 42 saddles and quite a bit of prize money. “He was a hero of mine. I mean, he is to a lot of people,” said fellow ProRodeo Hall of Famer Guy Allen, who won a record 18 PRCA Steer Rop ing World Championships. “And he was a super, super great guy. I mean, as honest as the day is long. He’s one

of the best guys you’d ever know. I think what made him so great was his desire to win. He wanted to win. He didn’t want to just compete and hear his name called. He wanted to win. What made him so successful was the effort that he put into practice. It was full contact with him when he prac ticed. He wasn’t out there just to pass the time. He was out there to rope and win. He practiced, and he practiced hard. That’s what made Phil Lyne great, the practice and the work ethic that he put into it.” Allen and Lyne traveled together for five years in the late 1980s. “We used to also enter some rodeos in team roping together,” Allen said. “I was heading and he was heeling. I didn’t have a (steer roping) horse for one year, and he had a backup. So, I rode his backup horse, and he rode his good one. Then, I’d head on his good (steer roping) horse, and he’d heel on his backup. We had an inline trailer and a station wagon, and we drove around to rodeos.” When Lyne won his 1990 PRCA Steer Roping World Championship, it was Allen who finished second. The title was decided in Round 10. Lyne, 43 at the time, turned in a disappointing 19.3-second run after he missed with his first loop and was forced to throw a second. Allen answered with a quick 12.7-second performance – but a broken barrier pushed that time to 22.7 seconds. That allowed Lyne to capture the title with $39,854 by a mere $85 over Allen.

Phil Lyne with his 1971 World Champi on Calf Roping gold buckle and saddle. PRCA file photo

8 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE September 9, 2026