Luke Brown picked up his second American Rodeo $100,000 paycheck, while Hunter Koch got his first after putting the pressure on the rest of the field with a first-out 4.94-second run.
Brown and Koch went first out in the Round of 10 and made a 4.80-second run. They were the slowest of the four who made it back, so they were first out in the Finals. Brown reached at his final-round steer and dallied on the end of it, and Koch cleaned it up on the back end.
“I had a real good game plan, but when I rode in there, I kind of froze up a little bit,” Brown, 49, said. “It’s pretty nerve-wracking. But no, I figured I’d try to get the best start I could and rope him and try to get him cleaned up around the turn. And I knew Hunter was going to throw fast. And if it was meant for us to win, we’d win. If not, we’d win something. So it was just kind of the plan.”
Derrick Begay and Colter Todd roped next and got a leg to be 9.36, and that was good enough for second and $25,000 a man when the final two teams, both qualifiers, took no times.
“Right before the run, you know, me and Luke, we’ve made millions of runs together and we just had to leave it all in God’s hands and whatever happens, happens,” Koch, 26, said. “But you know, the most special part about this run for me is Luke’s one of my best friends, but I always felt like I hadn’t had a big win yet. And you know, I’ve been doing this for six years now and I can finally say I’ve got a big win, so it’s pretty special.
Perspective
Originally from Rock Hill, South Carolina, Brown now calls Lipan, Texas home. Koch, of Vernon, Texas, is now a Stephenville resident. The duo finished fifth in the PRCA world standings in 2023 to qualify for The American, but they are not rodeoing together in 2024. Brown is roping with Travis Graves, while Koch is heeling for Cody Snow.
The first time Hunter Koch came to the American, he was in junior high school.
“To think that one day I would get to take a victory lap is something I’ll always remember,” Koch said.
Meanwhile, Luke Brown has hardly missed an appearance since the first American rodeo in 2014.
“Hunter’s work ethic and his drive to do good is impeccable to anybody I’ve ever seen,” Brown said. “So, he’s gonna win this thing a lot. I mean, he’s got a huge future. And we’ve all known it forever. Uh, to get to be a part of it is pretty cool for me.”
For Koch, getting to notch his biggest career win to date with one of his heroes is something he’ll never forget.
“No one ropes more than this man right here,” Koch said. “I can promise you that. Oh, I’ve learned everything from him. I would say close to 70% of the things I know about rodeo, Luke Brown taught me most of them.”
Brown won The American in 2020 with Joseph Harrison, in a year that the money counted toward the PRCA world standings. In 2024, the money is a great bonus—but it won’t count toward and world standings.
Brown, who’s been to 14 NFRs and won three NFR average titles, is 26th in the PRCA standings so far in 2024 with $12,876 won, while Koch, who’s been to the Finals three times, is fourth with $33,895.
Luke Brown’s Head Horse
Hunter Koch’s Heel Horse
