- Age: 51
- Hometown: Rock Hill, South Carolina
- Career earnings: $3,074,670
- Major Rodeos: NFR, Texas Circuit Finals, Pendleton Round-Up (Pendleton, Oregon), Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo (Vernal, Utah), Spanish Fork Fiesta Days Rodeo (Spanish Fork, Utah), Cheyenne Frontier Days (Cheyenne, Wyoming), Days of ’47 Rodeo (Salt Lake City, Utah), World’s Oldest Rodeo (Prescott, Arizona), The American Rodeo (Arlington, Texas), Kitsap Stampede (Bremerton, Washington), National Western Stock Show and Rodeo (Denver, CO)
- Major Ropings: Windy Ryon Memorial, Broc Cresta Memorial, Bob Fiest Invitational
- NFR Qualifications: 16 (2008-2020, 2023-2025)
- NFR Average Titles: 3 (2010, 2013, 2015)
- Star Horsepower: Slim Shady, Texas Tallman (Cowboy), Super Gold Baron (Rockstar), DM Jett Off (Buddha)
- Rope Choice: Classic Powerline
It was a crunch-time win in Pendleton, Oregon, that sent Luke Brown on a trip to his first NFR qualification in 2008.
“Making the Finals the first time was a dream come true that I actually thought would never come true,” Brown, 51, told The Team Roping Journal’s Kendra Santos in 2023. “Coming from South Carolina and making the NFR is just a shot in the dark. My first NFR will forever be the highlight of my career.”
The Rock Hill, South Carolina, native, who now resides in Texas, has since racked up $3 million in ProRodeo earnings and 16 NFR qualifications over the years, three of which resulted in NFR average titles.
The first of those titles came in 2010 with Martin Lucero, when they placed in five of 10 rounds, grabbed the round 2 win, and finished third in the world with $170,370 won. The second average win came in 2013, when he and Kollin VonAhn placed in six rounds and finished second in the world. In 2015, again with VonAhn, he collected his third average title when the team won round 8 and placed in five others. That year, Brown missed winning the world by just $3,000.
Brown has many times credited his success in the arena to the horses he has had along the way. Slim Shady was his standout sorrel he rode to eight NFR appearances from 2008–15, who passed away in 2021. Rock Star, or Sugar Gold Baron, was the palomino he rode from 2016–18. Cowboy, or Texas Tallman—who also passed in 2021—was the sorrel that took Brown to countless wins on the ProRodeo trail since 2011. Finally, there is DM Jett Off, “Buddha,” that Brown has had since 2020.
“The proof is in the pudding when it comes to the importance of good horses,” Brown told Santos in 2023. “The guys with the best horses win the most money. The better the horse, the better the roper. It’s always been that way. A horse might not be the best one for everybody, but if he’s the best horse for you, it makes all the difference.”
In 2025, Brown teamed up with Trey Yates to make his 16th NFR appearance. The team started off their year with a big win at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver. In the summer, they picked up checks in Mount Pleasant, Texas; Woodward, Oklahoma; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Dodge City, Kansas; and Caldwell, Idaho. The last month of ProRodeo saw Brown and Yates pull through in a big way, with checks at Puyallup, Washington; Pendleton, Oregon; Mandan, North Dakota; and the Governor’s Cup in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
This puts Brown headed to Las Vegas in the No. 13 position with $123,303 won.
“It’d be cool to win the average a couple more times. The gold buckle would be a dream come true, but a gold buckle hasn’t ever been really important to me. Making a living and providing for my family means more. And being able to wake up in the morning and rope, and do what I love means more.”
Luke Brown, 2023
