BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
Luke Brown is the oldest team roper in the field and at 50-years-old, he is making his 15th appearance at the National Finals Rodeo. With Travis Graves roping behind him, he and his partner have combined for 30 trips to the NFR.
Cody Stampede, $5,377
Timing might not have been perfect, but Cowboy Christmas provided the spark Graves and Luke Brown needed to kick into high gear. Their 4.4-second run for third place earned them a $5,000+ check, their first significant payout of the season.
Fiesta Days Rodeo, $7,845
July in Utah became critical for Brown’s NFR push. He and Travis Graves stepped up with a pair of second place finishes. In Spanish Fork, runs of 4.5 and 5.2 seconds earned them the runner-up spot and a solid showing in Ogden secured them $6,500 and second in the Averag there.
Kitsap Stampede, $5,014
Brown and Graves’ only win of the 2024 season came at the PRCA Playoff Series Rodeo in August. Their 4.0-second run in Bremerton edged out two teams, including the World’s top-ranked duo, Dustin Egusquiza and Levi Lord, by three-tenths of a second.
Cinch Playoffs Puyallup, $8,657
The veteran pair peaked in the final month of the season, beginning in Puyallup where three straight runs of 4.9 seconds or faster allowed them to get to the Finals, where they took third and won $6,500.
Pendleton Round-Up, $10,471
They stayed hot in Pendleton where they took third in the Average. All three of their runs were between 5.8 and 6.7 seconds and they were one of three pairs to be faster than seven seconds on every run.
Cinch Playoffs Governor’s Cup, $7,500
Sioux Falls was a similar story to Puyallup. Brown/Graves got faster on each of their first three runs, turning in times 4.9, 4.4, and 4.1 seconds to make the Finals, where, despite a no time, they made $7,500.
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