Mason Lowe
Personal information | |
---|---|
Birth name | Mason Lowe |
Born | Springfield, Missouri | September 12, 1993
Died | January 15, 2019 Denver, Colorado | (aged 25)
Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
Weight | 155 lb (70 kg) |
Sport | |
Sport | Rodeo |
Event | Bull riding |
Turned pro | 2012 |
Achievements and titles | |
Highest world ranking | 9th |
Mason Lowe (September 12, 1993 – January 15, 2019)[1] was a professional bull rider from Exeter, Missouri. He was ranked 18th in the world at the time of his death.[2]
Early life
Mason Lowe was born in Springfield, Missouri, on September 12, 1993, to Stacy Lowe and Melissa Reed. Lowe grew up in Exeter, Missouri. [3] Lowe's interest in bull riding started as a toddler; when he was three years old he rode the milk calves on his family farm.[4] He participated in junior rodeos, and skipped high school rodeos to enter the amateur bull riding aged fifteen, competing throughout the Midwest. About this choice, he said he sometimes regretted not participating at high school level, but also believed that he was more prepared for professional tours thanks to the amateur competitions.[4] Watching the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) growing up, he called Chris Shivers his role model.[4]
Professional career
Lowe got his PBR card as soon as he turned eighteen,[5] and started participating in tour circuits in the 2015 season, where he advanced to the PBR World Finals and earned $102,000.[4] In his initial competitions, he was placed at 164th in the world.[5] He suffered a wrist injury between seasons, in the summer of 2016.[4][6] At the start of his second season, he was considered one of the talented up-and-coming riders in contention with the veteran riders.[4] It was at the start of this season in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, that he got his first 90-point ride, staying on Bruiser for 91 points.[7] Towards the middle of his second season he had a run without placing in the top ten in six straight competitions, but in the seventh competition, he placed first at Albuquerque, taking his first win at a Built Ford Tough Series competition.[6]
After that, he did not compete over the winter, spending time in California to prevent injury, and returned in February 2017 at the Sprint Center in his home state of Missouri, being ranked 12th in the world at the start of 2017.[6] At the Iron Cowboy competition in February 2017 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Lowe became only the second rider to complete a ride on Smooth Operator in competition, with a 90.75 point ride, moving to 9th in world rankings.[8] In early June 2017 he suffered a small injury from a completed ride, leaving him limping for a while but not interfering with his competition schedule. He won his next ride with another 8-second stay in the two-round competition, at the 14th J.W. Hart PBR Challenge. This feat moved him up to be 11th in the world.[9] In the 2017 season he earned over $110,000 but by the start of the 2018 season, he had dropped back to be ranked 14th in the world.[5]
Lowe always enjoyed competing near home.[4][5][6]
He qualified for the PBR World Finals three times (2015-17) but failed to qualify in 2018, his last full season.[10]
Death
Lowe was competing in a PBR Velocity event at the Denver Coliseum as part of the National Western Stock Show on January 15, 2019, and was thrown from his bull. However, the bull — Hard Times[11][12] — then turned and his back legs stepped hard on his chest before moving off. Eyewitness reports say he did stand, then grasped his chest before collapsing.[13] He was treated at Denver Health Medical Center but died from extensive damage to his heart, heart valve, and aorta,[2] the 2-ton bull crushing his chest even though he was wearing a protective vest.[14] The competition was postponed to the next day, with all riders wearing memorial patches. The PBR sent support to his wife, Abbey,[2] who have said that Hard Times will stay in competition because they believe the injury was done "absolutely unintentionally".[15] He was the third bull rider to be killed in competition since the PBR was founded.[16]
In his memory, the PBR named their annual event at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri the Mason Lowe Memorial starting with the 2019 season.[17]
Personal life
Lowe was well-known for being a cowboy. On June 9, 2018, he married Abbey Cooper in Pilot Grove, Missouri. They lived in Rocheport, Missouri with their dog Gator.[3] After his death on January 15, 2019, Lowe left behind a widow, Abbey, and other family.[13]
See also
References
- ^ Pro Bull Rider Mason Lowe Dies During Competition. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ a b c "Professional rider Mason Lowe dies after bull steps on his chest at PBR event". The Guardian. January 16, 2019. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ a b "Mason L. Lowe". Monett Times. January 18, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Lowe looking to put on a show in home state at PBR event". Springfield News-Leader. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Southwest Missouri professional bull rider â€" No. 14 in the world â€" returns to JQH Arena". Springfield News-Leader. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Missouri native Mason Lowe ready to ride as Professional Bull Riders Tour hits KC". kansascity. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ "Lowe gets long desired first win". www.pbr.com. Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- ^ Felisko, Justin. "Lowe Wins Highest-Marked Ride Award at Iron Cowboy". Wrangler Network. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ "Hanging on: Lowe wins J.W. Hart PBR Challenge | WCMessenger.com". Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ Mason Lowe - Bull Rider Profile / Stats
- ^ "Mason Lowe at PBR". Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ "Bull rider dies of injuries sustained in Denver competition days before Fort Worth rodeo". star-telegram. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
- ^ a b "Mason Lowe dies after ride at National Western Stock Show". CBS. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ "Risk and passion: Bull riding pros react to death during PBR event". Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ "Bull that killed rider Mason Lowe at National Western Stock Show will stay in PBR circuit". Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ "Professional bull rider cowboy dies after being stomped during competition". Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ PBR announces Mason Lowe Memorial event in St. Louis