Michael Lane wins 2017 Velocity Tour Milwaukee Challenge

Michael Lane (Tazewell, Virginia) snatched his first win of the season at the PBR’s (Professional Bull Riders) Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour (RVT) Milwaukee Challenge Saturday night at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

Lane won the event after scoring 85.5 points aboard Sneakers (C Check Bucking Bulls) in Round 1, before going on to turn in an 89-point ride on Devils Due (New Frontier Rodeo) in the championship round. It was the 26-year-old’s first Velocity Tour victory, and it earned him 80 points toward the PBR world standings along with $8,200.

Winners of each RVT event in 2017 will be guaranteed at least one opportunity to compete at a PBR Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) regular-season event. Thanks to his victory in Milwaukee, Lane earned an invitation to Last Cowboy Standing at Helldorado Days in Las Vegas, Nevada, May 12-13. This will be Lane’s first time back to the Built Ford Tough Series since competing at last year’s Sacramento Invitational.

Last weekend’s champion, Skeeter Kingsolver (Mclouth, Kansas), and Kurt Shephard (Atherton, Australia) tied for second place, each earning 40 points toward the world standings and $3,850. Kingsolver rode Get Blitzed (Cornwell Bucking Bulls) for 87 points to win Round 1 before eventually bucking off Rebelution (Smith/Harper/Scott Burruss) in the championship round. Shephard covered Order to Go (Jim Bollinger) for 87 points to tie for the Round 1 win before being bucked off by Texas Twist (Smith/Harper/Scott Burruss) in the championship round.

Fourth place went to Nathan Shaper (Grassy Butte, North Dakota) after he reached 8 seconds on Scratch Off (Smith/Harper & Morgan) for 86 points in Round 1. Schaper wasn’t able to hold onto True Story (Cornwell Bucking Bulls) in the championship round. Schaper earned 20 points toward the world standings along with $2,000.

John Smith (Malta, Montana) earned a fifth place finish after riding Little Waspy (Jim Bollinger) for 85 points in Round 1. Smith pocketed 15 world points and $840. 

Fraser Babbington (Gisborne, New Zealand) rounded out the Top 6 after riding Blue Magic (C Check Bucking Bulls) for 84.5 points in Round 1. For the finish, Babbington picked up 10 points toward the world standings and $560.

Rebelution (Smith/Harper/Scott Burruss) was named the top bull of the event after earning a score of 44.5 points after bucking off Kingsolver in 3.57 seconds in the championship round. ~ PBR MEDIA