Luke Mackey Goes the Distance to Capture Cheyenne Bull Riding Championship

The “Colorado Kid” put on a show during Sunday’s short round on his way to a 90-point ride and a significant payout at one of the summer’s most historic rodeos.

Luke Mackey celebrates his championship-winning bull ride during Sunday's final round at Cheyenne Frontier Days. | Bailey Ford/@bailey.ford.photography

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – A qualified bull ride is supposed to last eight seconds. Luke Mackey decided that wasn’t long enough. 

During Sunday’s championship round at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo, the Ignacio, Colo., native matched up with Dakota Rodeo’s Tiger King. Mackey came out ready, holding tight until the eight-second horn. Then, he just didn’t let go. 

The bull kept spinning and bucking in front of the chute. Mackey kept riding as the crowd’s response got louder and louder. 

“That was just fun doing it a little bit longer here in Cheyenne. I definitely didn’t want to fall off so I might as well, just get some more practice,” Mackey joked about his extended ride.  

The 90-point score came as the next-to-last matchup of the day, and while Mackey had to wait out Lane Vaughan’s attempt to unseat him, it wasn’t enough. Vaughan finished at 88 points to tie for fourth, giving Mackey one of his biggest regular season victories to date. 

The result was a bit of redemption for the bull ride nicknamed the “Colorado Kid” as he went 0-for-2 during the Cheyenne Frontier Days Extreme Bulls event earlier in the week. He shared a three-way tie to win his qualifying bracket with Colton Byram and Hayden Welsh as all three cowboys went for 89 points. In the semifinals, his 87-point effort won the round and punched his ticket to Sunday’s short go. 

That set the stage for a big finish, which turned climactic quickly. After three of the first five bull riders during Sunday’s finale posted rides of 86 or better, the next five got bucked off, leaving the Cheyenne crowd anxious for a defining moment at the finish. 

Mackey delivered just that. 

“This is probably one of the biggest accomplishments I’ve made beside NFR,” Mackey said. 

During his time in Cheyenne, Mackey netted $13,650 in earnings, a much-needed boost as he aims to crack the top five in the PRCA standings. He is currently sixth with a little more than $141,000 in earnings so far this year, aiming for his second straight Wrangler National Finals Rodeo appearance. 

A win like this was exactly what he needed as the summer run begins to wind down. The fact that it was a good show for the Cheyenne crowd only added to the moment. 

“I was trying to get off too, but I figured I might as well say what’s up to my buddies while I was riding the bull,” Mackey joked. “That was a blast. I was just able to capitalize doing what I love at the Daddy of ’Em all and just show what I came here to do.”