Lucas Wilson was born on the 16th of December, 1986, in Warwick Base Hospital, Queensland, Australia. From an early age Lucas always knew that he wanted to be a cowboy, following in the footsteps of his father Ron Wilson, who was a many times Australian National finalist in the Saddle Bronc riding and the steer wrestling events. Coincidentally both their rodeo career’s were nearly bought to an end in the same year, Lucas’ before it even began. Ron was on his last horse at the 1993 NFR when it turned over backwards on top of him, breaking his wrist, several ribs and crushing his pelvis. As Ron was leaving hospital he received a phone call, telling him to stay there as his wife and son were on their way, although it was not to pick him up. Earlier that day there had been a car crash, which involved both his wife and son. Lucas sustained a broken nose, 4 broken ribs, a broken collar bone, 4 ruptured discs and 5 crushed vertebrae in his back, he was told that he would never walk again.
After almost two years of laying in a hospital, and hours upon hours of rehabilitation, at the age of 9 Lucas could finally walk away from the hospital with good reports, and never having to return. There were only two things that he would never be able to do again according to the doctors, bounce on a trampoline, or ride a horse. Four years passed before Lucas got back on a horse, and re fueled the fire of wanting to be a cowboy, after that, he never looked back.
Lucas left home at the age of 15 to finally pursue his dream of being a rodeo cowboy, that first year Lucas won the Australian High School year end title, as well as the average at the finals, and ended the year 18th in the Australian professional rodeo circuit. The next year Lucas went back to school and graduated from high school in 2004, continuing to rodeo throughout his educational career. Wilson took over the security management of the biggest night club in Toowoomba, Queensland, known as Tomba’s, in 2005. He commenced his education leaving high school, going straight on to university, where he studied a bachelor of education, senior and middle schooling, majoring in Physical Education and minoring in Physics and Biology. For the next 4 years Lucas managed the security at the night club, studied at university and rode saddle bronc horses professionally, making the National Finals all 4 years, the first 2 years coming into the finals in 15th spot, the 3rd year in 13th spot and the final year in 5th spot, leaving the finals in 3rd position in Australia.
In that short time, Wilson won both the two largest rodeo’s in Australia, Mt. Isa (2006), and Warwick (2008). Along with various others throughout the country,
Albury – NSW, Corryong – NSW, Emerald – QLD, Comet – QLD, Winton – QLD, Deniquilin – VIC, Mt. Isa – QLD, Warwick – QLD, Tara – QLD, Southport – QLD, Redlands – QLD.
Wilson claims 2008 to be his most successful year yet, winning the professional Sunshine Circuit title, The Queensland Championships, the highly sought after Mark Kraut memorial invitational bronc ride, and placing in 4 out of 5 rounds at the National Finals Rodeo.
In 2008 Wilson graduated from university with his BESM degree and in 2009 travelled to the USA to further pursue his dreams of being a rodeo cowboy. 2009, his first year on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association circuit, he placed at a number of rodeo’s , and ended the year 8th in the rookie world standings. Wilson is currently the only cowboy in the world that holds a professional rodeo card in Australia, Canada and the United States, planning to work all 3 associations through the year, the majority in the united states (March – December) this includes Canadian rodeo’s, and working rodeo’s in Australia from December 26th until February 29th, which in total is 27 rodeo’s in Australia (there are 62 rodeo’s in the Australian rodeo year), leaving him with more than enough rodeo’s to make the National Finals in Australia yet again. |
