Ignacio teen heads into final stop tied for first in open division
Luke Mackey, of Ignacio, makes a gesture to fellow cowboys after a successful ride on Saturday during the Battle of the Bull Hands Tour, presented by Smith & Sons Productions, in the Fred Klatt III Arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Luke Mackey, 15, of Ignacio rode on a herd of different bulls Saturday during the fourth stop of the Battle of Bull Hands Tour, presented by Smith & Sons Productions, at the La Plata County Fairgrounds in Durango.
Luke Mackey, of Ignacio, is all smiles while talking about his ride on Saturday during the Smith & Sons Productions Battle of the Bull Hands Tour in the Fred Klatt III Arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Mackey competed in both the junior and open divisions, and ran into some unruly bulls. After his first bull in the open division didn’t cooperate, Mackey got a re-ride and made the most of it.
With the 1,300 pounds of animal dynamite jumping and bucking and flailing around in circles, Mackey barely budged and held on for well past eight seconds. Then he hopped off the back of the bull and landed on his feet. He received a score of 85.5 for his effort and advanced to the short round.
Luke Mackey, of Ignacio, rides a bull to a score of 85.5 Saturday during the Smith & Sons Productions Battle of the Bull Hands Tour at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Noah Thomas scored 87 points with his first-round ride, and Nate Hoey advanced with an 85.
In the short round, he rode Broken Arrow. Mackey lasted about six seconds on the bull as it thrashed around, but lost his rope and ended up getting bucked off.
Hoey, meanwhile, was the only competitor in the short round to score a qualifying ride, earning him Saturday’s title. His winning ride, on Thunderstruck, scored 87.75 points.
In the junior competition, Mackey decided to try riding a bull that another competitor wanted no part of. That bull, however, fell before getting out the chute twice with Mackey on it. Mackey then rode a different bull but was unable to get a scoring run on his third attempt in the division.
Thomas, 14, won the junior title.
Windy Valley was the championship bull team.
Mackey, however, is still tied for first place on the tour in both the open and junior divisions heading into the final May 6-7 at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Blaine Rouquemore, Thomas and Xavier Antez are also battling for the titles.
Mackey also has a high school rodeo competition May 7 in Craig, however, so he’ll compete on May 6 in Durango and then drive all night for that competition.
Mackey’s younger brother, Roper Collom, 5, has also been competing on the tour. He’s been riding sheep in the mutton busting and also leads the tour.
Luke Mackey, of Ignacio, rides a bull to a score of 85.5 on Saturday during the Smith and Sons Productions Battle of the Bull Hands Tour in the Fred Klatt III Arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Luke Mackey, a sophomore at Ignacio High School, walks to his next bull on Saturday during the Smith and Sons Productions Battle of the Bull Hands Tour in the Fred Klatt III Arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Luke Mackey's riding helmet gets covered with some dirt on Saturday during the fourth stop of the Battle of the Bull Hands Tour, held in the Fred Klatt III Arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Luke Mackey, of Ignacio, gets ready for his next bull on Saturday during the Smith and Sons Productions Battle of the Bull Hands Tour in the Fred Klatt III Arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Luke Mackey, of Ignacio, walks to his next bull on Saturday during the Smith and Sons Productions Battle of the Bull Hands Tour in the Fred Klatt III Arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Luke Mackey, of Ignacio, rides a bull to a score of 85.5 on Saturday during the Smith and Sons Productions Battle of the Bull Hands Tour in the Fred Klatt III Arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Luke Mackey, of Ignacio, makes a gesture to fellow cowboys after his successful ride on Saturday during the Smith and Sons Productions Battle of the Bull Hands Tour in the Fred Klatt III Arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Luke Mackey, of Ignacio, gracefully gets off his bull after a successful ride on Saturday during the Smith and Sons Productions Battle of the Bull Hands Tour, held in the Fred Klatt III Arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Luke Mackey, of Ignacio, is all smiles while talking about his ride on Saturday during the Smith and Sons Productions Battle of the Bull Hands Tour in the Fred Klatt III Arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Luke Mackey, of Ignacio, looks over the bulls on Saturday during the Smith and Sons Productions Battle of the Bull Hands Tour in the Fred Klatt III Arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Luke Mackey, of Ignacio, pops up off an uncooperative bull in the chute on Saturday during the Smith and Sons Productions Battle of the Bull Hands Tour in the Fred Klatt III Arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
The bull that Luke Mackey, of Ignacio, is on falls down in the chute as the gate opens on Saturday during the Smith and Sons Productions Battle of the Bull Hands Tour in the Fred Klatt III Arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
The bull that Luke Mackey, of Ignacio, is on falls down in the chute right as the gate opens on Saturday during the Smith and Sons Productions Battle of the Bull Hands Tour in the Fred Klatt III Arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Mackey got a re-ride. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Luke Mackey, of Ignacio, is all smiles as he talks about his ride on Saturday during the Smith and Sons Productions Battle of the Bull Hands Tour in the Fred Klatt III Arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Luke Mackey, of Ignacio, jumps off his bull on Saturday during the Smith and Sons Productions Battle of the Bull Hands Tour in the Fred Klatt III Arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Luke Mackey, of Ignacio, jumps off his bull on Saturday during the Smith and Sons Productions Battle of the Bull Hands Tour in the Fred Klatt III Arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Gabe Lopez ends up sideways on a bull on Saturday during the Smith and Sons Productions Battle of the Bull Hands in the Fred Klatt III Arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Xavier Antez slides off his bull on Saturday during the Smith and Sons Productions Battle of the Bull Hands Tour in the Fred Klatt III Arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Evan Pinto rides his bull on Saturday during the Smith and Sons Productions Battle of the Bull Hands Tour in the Fred Klatt III Arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Tyson Tsinigine comes off the backside of a bull on Saturday during the Smith and Sons Productions Battle of the Bull Hands in the Fred Klatt III Arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Xavier Antez’s hand gets caught in his rope as the bull bucks around on Saturday during the Smith and Sons Productions Battle of the Bull Hands Tour in the Fred Klatt III Arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
A bullfighter draws the attention of a bull away from a fallen rider on Saturday during the Smith and Sons Productions Battle of the Bull Hands in the Fred Klatt III Arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Bullfighter William Charley draws the attention of a bull away from the fallen rider on Saturday during the Smith and Sons Productions Battle of the Bull Hands in the Fred Klatt III Arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
A bull fighter draws the attention of a bull away from a fallen rider on Saturday during the Smith and Sons Productions Battle of the Bull Hands in the Fred Klatt III Arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Jerry McBride
Bullfighter Brandon Gibson draws the attention of a bull away from the fallen rider on Saturday during the Smith and Sons Productions Battle of the Bull Hands in the Fred Klatt III Arena at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
