Luke Brown & Jake Long Master the BFI Mountain

Luke Brown & Jake Long Master the BFI Mountain

- Kendra Santos

Luke Brown and Jake Long checked a major goal off of their roping career bucket lists with the $60,000 per man win at the 2017 Bob Feist Invitational Team Roping Classic.

"This is better than a world championship," said Brown, who'll be 43 on August 16. "This has been my favorite roping forever, since I was a kid. This is a big deal for me. I've always wanted to win this roping so bad."

Brown, a native of Rock Hill, S.C., now hangs his hat in Morgan Mill, Texas. Long, who's from Coffeyville, Kan., also now lives in Morgan Mill, which makes regular practice sessions practical. The second-year partners stopped the clock six times in 44.7 seconds to win the 108-team 40th annual BFI, which was held June 19 at the Reno Livestock Events Center.

“On top of the world is what this feels like,” said Long, 33. “This is a roping I’ve dreamed about doing good at my whole life. To come back high callback, be in a spot to win it and come through is huge. The money’s obviously great, and the confidence and momentum for our rodeoing will be great.

“This is just fun. I know this is a roping Luke’s always wanted to win, too. I hadn’t really had the best track record here before. Coleman (Proctor) and I won fifth one time, and me and Luke were sitting really good last year and I roped a leg on the fourth steer. To get back into that spot and come through this time was huge.”

Luke rode his 12-year-old sorrel horse, Cowboy. “I’ve had him since 2011 or so, but he was hurt for a year or two,” said Brown, whose road-ready family includes his wife, Lacy, and daughter, Libby, who paints her daddy’s fingernails and toenails pink as part of their nightly routine (he keeps a wet paper towel at the ready to remove it as she rotates to his next hand or foot).