Luke Mackey has shown throughout his teenage years that he’s been a top bull rider, and he showed he can ride the big bulls against big competition in 2025.
The 19-year-old from Ignacio made it to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas in December, an accomplishment only the top 15 bull riders in the world get to compete in. It’s been called the Super Bowl of the rodeo as the premier event for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.
Even before making it to the NFR, it was a fantastic 2025 for Mackey, winning over half a dozen events.
“It was a blast just going down the road, traveling to new places I haven’t been and learning how to ride bulls professionally,” Mackey said.
The top 15 bull riders make it in based on season earnings, and Mackey was right on the cut-off line, finishing his season 15th in earnings with $138,918, only a few thousand dollars ahead of 16th place.
Mackey’s rise to the best in the world has been long in the making. He’s been riding sheep since he was 3-years-old, and began riding little bulls when he was 6, and he started riding bigger bulls when he became a teenager.
Even with all his experience, Mackey needed to make sure he had confidence in himself going into the biggest stage in rodeo at the NFR. It was a dream come true for Mackey to get to Las Vegas with his family, but he still had work to do to represent the Four Corners and Ignacio on the world stage.
“Just coming off my permit when I was 18, just riding with all the bigger guys who have … been riding for years, and it was my very first year as a rookie ever feeling professional like that,” Mackey said. “So it gets nerve wracking, but … I know I can ride those bulls because they aren’t any different than most of my practice bulls I have at my house.”
In bull riding, a rider must stay on the bull for eight seconds with one hand on the bull rope and one hand in the air. If the rider makes it to eight seconds, they get scored up to 100 points, with 50 points coming from the rider and 50 points awarded to the bull.
Mackey finished third in average winnings, seventh in the world and second among rookies. He felt like he left a few seconds on the table, but he was happy with how he did as a rookie.
“It feels really good when you stay on the bull for the eight seconds; you feel like you're 10 feet tall and bulletproof,” Mackey said. “Nothing can stop you once you cover a bull for eight seconds. It definitely gets you going and you have a good crowd. As a bull rider, you're mostly just feeling all the adrenaline and the power from the bull.”
The grind never stops for Mackey. He already has rodeos scheduled in January in Colorado and Texas, as he has to get to at least 40 rodeos before the NFR. All that experience will help him in his pursuit of the gold buckles all the world champions get.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
