Bull rider Lane Cork of Quesnel rocked the Bull Riders Canada Fifth Annual New Year’s Eve Bull-A-Rama in Barriere, B.C. on Dec. 31, 2017, winning third in the final round, taking home $725.
Cork ended up third overall in the average rankings, and the seasoned cowboy also made 150 points to start off the 2018 season standings.
“It was a good way to kick off the season, as I finished the 2017 regular season in the top five,” says Cork.
“That’s what a guy wants at the end of the season; top five, and points early in the year.”
The top five bull riders in the average rankings for 2017 were Jackson Scott from Kamloops; Marcos Gloria from Central de Minas, Brazil; Lane Cork from Quesnel; Jacob Garner from Dawson Creek; and Marlon Williams from Mount Currie.
Quesnel’s Matt O’Flynn just missed the top five, coming in sixth in the average. He placed fifth in round two at the Bull-A-Rama event, making 60 points.
The annual Bull Riders Canada event debuted a new format this year, featuring 20 contestants in each round and then an intermission, followed by the same 20 contestants competing in another round of action. There was $5,000 up for grabs during the event, along with prize buckles and jackets.
A New Year’s Eve party followed, with the riders and fans ringing in 2018 with a celebration and dance.