Considering Luke Mackey started riding horses when he was a few months old, it's probably not too surprising he's a national competitor in riding mini bulls at the age of 8.
He will travel to Dallas Stadium in Texas at the end of February to complete with the top 15 mini bull riders in the nation in an invitational competition.
And while the sport refers to "mini" bulls, they're really not that small, weighing an average of 600 pounds.
Luke is one of the youngest riders on the circuit, competing against other peewee riders in the 8-11 age group. Junior riders are 11 to 14 years of age.
"They're just fun to ride," Luke said of his favorite category of rodeo competition. He's also completed in goat tying, team roping, breakaway roping and barrel racing.
"I think it's an adrenaline rush for him," said his mom, Corena Miller. "He eats, lives and sleeps cowboys." Inside their Bayfield home, he has a whole rack of belt buckles, along with other gear he was won, including a prized saddle.
The young riders wear special weighted helmets made of titanium to help keep their heads down and to protect them during the eight-second rides, along with a high-impact chest protector. He got thrown off a bull during a competition in Ignacio and hurt his chin, but resumed competition right away, saying, "No I'm good."
Luke goes to many of his competitions with his grandfather, Jerry Mackey, who is extremely proud of his grandson's prowess in the sport.
"It's been an amazing summer," he said of Luke's first-place performances in several rodeos on the Navajo Nation, as well as more Top Ten placings in other rodeos around the area.
Mackey said he thinks because Luke's been riding and reigning horses for so long, "he can feel it," when a bull is about to switch directions.
"He's so far advanced," compared to other riders his age, Mackey said.
When he's not riding bulls, Luke also plays tackle football and baseball, making the all-star team in his age group last summer.
This month, he'll compete in a two-day competition in Farmington in preparation for the national event in Dallas.
Luke is sponsored by Hurricane Swabbing of Farmington, KC Performance Horses of Bayfield, local Western artist Tim Cox, and Barnes Custom Log Homes.
