EVENTS
Rough Stock Rider
Riding Instructor
Born in1954 at Grand Junction, Colorado, Lyle Sankey competed in his first rodeo at age sixteen. A versatile, all-around cowboy, he excelled in Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) bareback-back bronc, saddle bronc and bull riding from 1975 to 1996.
During his competitive career, Sankey attended more than one hundred rodeos each year. He captured all-around titles at Houston, Texas, in 1977; at Denver, Colorado, in 1979; at the Prairie Circuit Finals in 1979 and 1982; and at Great Lakes Circuit Finals in 1991 and 1992. He remains one of only four contestants to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in all three of the challenging rough-stock events.
After his arena career, Lyle Sankey became an arena judge and rough-stock-riding coach. His Sankey Rodeo School in Branson, Missouri, teaches new bronc riders, bull riders, and bull-fighting clowns. Sankey preserves cowboy lifestyle and tradition while sharpening arena skills.