The adrenaline of bull-riding is what keeps Luke Mast of Hutchinson coming back.
Mast was recently this way where he came in second place in the bull-riding competition at the Allen County Fair. He has been competing in at least three competitions every single week this summer.
The cowboy got his start in bull-riding at a very young age when his family first put him on steers and calves to see if Mast would enjoy the thrill. Once he turned 17, Mast got on his first real bull and never looked back.
“We had a farm growing up and I got on steers, calves and stuff when I was a kid. We all got fired up about it. I started on the small stuff then when I got older I started getting on bulls. So it kind of grew from there,” said Mast. “I didn’t get into rodeos until I was 17 but I did get on steers and calves when I was a kid.”
As of late, Mast has been competing in bull-riding with both the BRI and PRCA as well as other associations, including the KPRA (Kansas Professional Rodeo Association). Mast said he enjoys riding for BRI the most because the winners receive belt buckles.
To ride bulls for fun may seem like a madman’s idea to a lot of people. However, it’s the rush of those qualifying 8 seconds that’s got him hooked.
“The rush. Even when you are just practicing, every time you nod it’s a rush. It’s kind of like an addiction. Making money is just a bonus if you do good,” said Mast.
Mast has found a good amount of success riding bulls this summer, in particular. With over five years of experience he is beginning to feel more comfortable on bulls and has some winning buckles to show for it. Along with placing second at the Allen County Fair, Mast has won three other bull-riding events this summer.
“I won the Ottawa bull-riding, Lyon County Fair and the first round of Cheney last Wednesday,” Mast said.
Mast has even gone five days in one week traveling to different bull-rides and rodeos as he continues to chase the rush of riding.
“Last week I was in Mound City at a PRCA rodeo. Ottawa, Mount Hope, Cheney, Dodge City, Abilene, those were just the recent ones. I stay pretty busy, I can go five days a week if I want to. It’s kind of hard to remember all the places,” said Mast.
Mast works with his brother doing construction work as his full-time job but practices for many hours in his free time on his own farm. Mast prefers to use a barrel to practice his moves.
“I’ve got a barrel here and then I’ve got a couple bulls I get on for practice. A barrel is just a drop barrel that kind of goes up and down and gets your form to where you want it to be. It’s all muscle memory. If you get it stuck in your head, what you need to do, it will make it a lot easier,” Mast said.
Mast’s recent successes make him all the more excited for what lies down the road.
