ProRodeo Sports News - March 1, 2024

XTREME BULLS SAN ANTONIO

Luke Mast turns heads with his $20,000 payout Career High

BY BRADY RENCK, Special to ProRodeo Sports News L uke Mast wasn’t born wearing a cowboy hat. His first shoes were not boots. He took a different path to bull riding. When Luke was 14, his brother Tim tried his hand at rodeo. Like many younger siblings, Luke’s curiosity piqued. The pair rode heifers on their father’s dairy farm in Hutchinson, Kan. It wasn’t X-Bulls. More like X-Games as they spent time trying to avoid getting thrown into a barbed wire fence. “It was pretty sketchy,” Mast said. “It probably wasn’t the smartest or safest way to learn. But you had to figure out. I was hooked.” Mast has gone from taking calculated risks to making the math work. The 23-year-old experienced the biggest payday of his career at the San Antonio Stock & Rodeo Xtreme Bulls on Feb. 18. Mast delivered an 86-point ride on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Slamwitch to claim the $20,000 top prize. Though inexperienced, Mast brought knowledge into the chutes for his final ride. “I got on him last year in Fort Worth and he bucked me off. He is unpredictable,” Mast said. “But I knew I needed to move forward on him. He gets everybody to stay back and that’s when you get into trouble. I charged that front end this time. And it worked out.” Mast began flashing his potential over the last few months, winning money at the Topeka (Kan.) New Year’s Eve Xtreme Bulls and Rodeo Rapid City in South Dakota. But what happened in San Antonio represented the type of breakthrough that can microwave his development. “The crowd was huge. It was an awesome (environment). It really gets a guy going with all that support. It feels really good when you put together a ride for them,” said Mast, who has been accompanied on the road with his wife Kari. “I was blessed to do that.” Mast grew up playing football. He believes that fueled his competitive desires. But it was a team sport, requiring 11 players working together to succeed. Mast became enthralled by the bare necessities of rodeo. When he gets in that saddle, there is no one to rely on or blame. “It’s all on you. I love that. It’s man vs. beast,” Mast said. The problem with bull riding is that the stock is about sympathetic as an assistant principal. The bulls take mercy on no one. But Mast believes toughness and faith can help him reach his goal of making his first Wrangler Nationals Finals Rodeo. “It’s hard, but my faith is everything. If it doesn’t go well, I give it to God, and he takes care of it. You don’t worry about it after that,” Mast said. “And there’s always another event every week, or in the summer, every day. So, you keep showing up. You grit those teeth and find a way to stay on. That’s what it is all about.”

PRCA XTREME BULLS

2024 TOUR STANDINGS

(Unofficial as of Feb. 29) 1. Luke Mast, Hutchinson, Kan................ ...............$23,114 2. Creek Walker Young, Rogersville, Mo....21,835 3. Fulton Rutland, Westville, Okla.............. .............19,952 4. Roscoe Jarboe, New Plymouth, Idaho....18,471 5. Laramie Mosley, Palestine, Texas........... ...........16,309 6. Trey Benton III, Richards, Texas............ ............14,453 7. Clayton Sellars, Wildwood, Fla.............. . ............14,312 8. Ky Hamilton, Mackay, Australia............. . ............14,180 9. Tristan Mize, Bryan, Texas..................... .....................14,013 10. Jake Lockwood, Volborg, Mont............ ...........12,161 11. Lukasey Morris, Union City, Okla......... ........12,084 12. Jeter Lawrence, Council Hill, Okla........ .......11,189 13. Dakota Hill, Bagwell, Texas.................. ..................11,153 14. Taylor Toves, Stephenville, Texas......... .........10,898 15. Jax Mills, Montgomery, Texas.............. ..............10,444

Complete results/Page 59

Luke Mast waves to the crowd at the Frost Bank Center after winning the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Xtreme Bulls with an 86-point ride.

Hailey Rae photos

Luke Mast had an 86-point ride on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Slamwitch to claim the $20,000 top prize at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Xtreme Bulls on Feb. 18.

ProRodeo Sports News 3/1/2024

ProRodeo Sports News 3/1/2024

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