story by Lindsay King
A competitor in all three men’s timed events – steer wrestling, tie-down and team roping – Lane Day just naturally found his way to the rodeo arena. “Growing up on a ranch and being around family that raised horses and cattle, rodeo was just second nature. All of my friends that I grew up with rodeoed, so it was just like any other sport for us,” said the Bartlett, Nebraska, native. The sport was never forced on Lane, but it was a family affair long before he arrived. “My dad was a steer wrestler and roped occasionally. My mom never competed but she roped and rode on the ranch plenty. My dad was probably the main driver behind me competing in rodeo.”
Lane grew up in the steer wrestling region of the state, so his senior year he finally added the event to his list. “It is what all of my friends were doing and the event everyone from around here does. I just fell in love with it and been trying to perfect it ever since.” Lane found himself chasing the Badlands circuit rodeos this past summer more so than ever before. He credits Nebraska rodeo with setting him up for success as he continues to step up his game. “When people think about rodeo they think about Texas but here in Nebraska and the surrounding states we have some really strong competition. Having that good competition has allowed me to be able to keep advancing and getting better. That was a great benefit.”
A hard-working college rodeo coach is a major factor in Lane’s success equation. “My coach at Chadron State College – Dustin Luper – is a great coach and did everything in his power to influence me and keep our team progressing.” The assistant rodeo coach (Shawn Patras) at the time was from Lane’s part of the world. “He had bought a place with an indoor arena that needed quite a bit of work and I went out there and started helping him with his place.” Once they were ready to roll, Lane moved his horses out to Shawn’s place. He would practice both at school and with Shawn. “He really helped me with my horsemanship and helped me advance outside of just technique. He was a really good mentor for me. He was always honest with me, he wasn’t afraid to tell me if I wasn’t performing to the best of my ability.”
After completing both a bachelor’s and master’s degree at Chadron State, it was finally time for Lane to head back home for a while. “I felt like I had been gone for a long time, so I wanted to get home and spend some time with my family.” As Lane explores his options for making his next move, he’s helping out on the family ranch and rodeoing as much as he can. “I also do some seasonal ranch work and I ride and train some horses.”
Lane was on the first Chadron State men’s rodeo team to qualify for the CNFR after winning their region. His focus on college rodeo prevented him from reaching some of his goals in the NSRA. “I was runner up at the NSRA finals last year in the steer wrestling. Now that I have been home and able to rodeo more, I have been ranking a lot higher in the standings. It’s been an eye-opening experience to go to some PRCA rodeos this year as well.” Though it might be the drum that gets beat more often than not, it’s one that can’t be said enough: the people of rodeo are something else. “There are a lot of good people that think alike and are supportive of the sport. They are trying to do their best, but they will also do anything they can to help the next guy win. It’s an association full of good people that know and enjoy rodeo and that is exactly what makes it special.”
