Luke Coleman: Carving His Path to Success, One Lasso at a Time

16-year-old Madisonville native, Luke Coleman, roped his way to success at the International Finals Youth Rodeo (IFYR), the richest youth rodeo in history. “Riding horses is in my blood,” said Luke when asked how long he has been involved in the rodeo world. Luke’s father, David Coleman, was very successful in the cutting industry, and luckily, his passion was passed down to his son.

Since he could walk, Luke has been riding and roping. While being homeschooled through Hope Christian

“He has put in hard work and effort, always asking what he can do to improve.”

 Academy, he has been able to focus on school and his rodeo career.

Getting up early to finish assignments and then spending the day in the practice pen has become every day. Luke believes that school is essential, and he plans to one day attend college and compete at the collegiate level.

Over the past year, Luke has had a mound of success. Winning a handful of Vegas qualifiers, Joe Beaver’s 15 and under, Durango Timed Event, and the IFYR. His wins result from hard work and a great team in his corner. “He has put in hard work and effort, always asking what he can do to improve. He has become a great roper and will continue to do great things in his roping career,” said Kase Bacque, a 22-year-old senior at Sam Houston State University, who has played a considerable role in Luke’s roping, challenging him in the arena physically and mentally.

Luke’s horse Visa showed just how solid he was during the first round of the IFYR. Even with mud up to his knees, Visa put Luke where he needed to be.

Ending up 10th in the first round with a 12.00 helped Luke stay in the middle of the pack. After drawing a calf in the second round that had not been caught all week, Luke got his mental game straight and knew he needed to “just go tie him down.” And that is exactly what he did. A 7.8 in the second round helped him head into the short-go 4th.

This was Luke's first year to be entered at the IFYR, beating out over 150 other ropers. His support from his parents, Nicole and David Coleman, Kase Bacque, Jared Filmore, Tanner Woodard, and his practice horse Thumper, has helped him grow into the roper and young man he is. “His love for what he does and his love for the Lord is an inspiration to us and keeps us wanting to give him the opportunities to pursue his passion,' said David Coleman.