Lambert bucks Day 1 frustration with a win
Zane Lambert was angry on Tuesday night.
Getting bucked off a bull will do that to you.
“I was taking it out on everything,” he said with a grin, describing his first day at the Calgary Stampede. “I was just trying to fight my head and figure out what it’s going to take to get this back rolling.”
It wasn’t the way he wanted to kick off his fourth trip to the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, a re-ride aboard a bull called Mr. Legit which eventually threw the Ponoka, Alta. cowboy clear off before the eight-second horn blew.
But he dusted himself off, returned to the infield on Wednesday, and prepared to redeem himself on Day 2 of Pool B competition. This time, it was an 88-point ride aboard a Kesler bull called Ivy League, a performance that earn him $5,500 and vaulted him into third in the aggregate.
It was also Lambert’s first victory at the Calgary Stampede.
“That was huge,” said the 32-year-old who made trips to Calgary in 2010, 2014, and 2016. “I’ve been on this bull Ivy League before, I won Camrose Spring Rodeo on this same bull. I knew coming in I had one to win it on. I just took care of my business and made sure everything was set right. I made sure I did exactly what my script was.”
The script, heading into Calgary, involved some strategic planning to prepare for the Stampede after hurting his back and hips in Halifax. This was following one of the best springs he’d ever had which saw him leading the PBR and Canadian standings at one point.
“I ended up having to turn out of a lot of rodeos,” Lambert said. “I haven’t been in a rodeo in five weeks. But that was all for this, and resting up for this. I’ll catch up to them in the last half.”
And winning a chunk of money at Calgary, of course, is exactly the tonic to get the ball rolling. With his wife Stacey expecting the couple’s first child in October — timely, considering the National Finals Rodeo in November — there’s plenty of excitement on the way.
“I’ve been waiting all year,” Lambert said. “Even going into last year, I knew there was only one shot to get here and that was to win Canada and the PBR. I wasn’t going to the CFR so I knew I wasn’t going to have a seat. It was really important to me. So, I made sure I won Canada and go this spot here. Everything has been leading up to this moment.”
NOTEBOOK
Ryder Wright of Milford, Ut., vaulted atop the aggregate standings in saddle bronc with a firstplaced ride worth 89 points aboard Accidental Warrior. After two day’s of work, Wright has earned $9,000 … Tuf Cooper of Weatherford, Tex., had the fastest tie-down roping time on Wednesday of 6.7 seconds … Hailey Kinsel of Cotulla, Tex., topped the barrel racing with a 17.28-second trip around the barrels to pick up a first-place cheque … Wednesday’s results of the bareback riding event weren’t made official due to Kaycee Feild’s pending re-ride.