Luke Snyder

Luke Snyder (born October 6, 1982) is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in bull riding, and competed in the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) circuit.

Luke Snyder was born on October 6, 1982, and is originally from Raymore, Missouri.

He began riding steer at age 9, and moved to bulls around 13 or 14 years old.

His father Mike pulled his rope for him at the amateur events until he went professional at 18.

He was the 2001 PBR Rookie of the Year, and the 2001 PBR World Finals event champion.

Since 2022, he has been the co-head coach of the Missouri Thunder during the PBR Team Series season.

Snyder emerged onto the PBR scene as an 18-year-old Rookie of the Year and PBR Bud Light Cup World Finals Champion in 2001.

Snyder competed in the Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) throughout his career Snyder earned $263,000 from his two wins at the Finals.

And he finished the season with $348,561 in earnings.

His streak started when he made his BFTS debut in 2001 and continued until he missed the Iron Cowboy Invitational event in 2010 because he did rank not high enough to compete.

In March 2001, at an event in Fort Worth, Texas, he scored 93 points on the bull Hollywood, whose bull score was 45.5.

+99 Hollywood is a ProBullStats Hall of Fame bull.

In September 2001, he scored an 89.5 point ride on Mr. Juicy whose bull score was 45 points.

At the World Finals in October 2001, Snyder was considered to be competing in his rookie year.

As noted previously, he won the finals event and rookie of the year award.

He rode five bulls at the event, which is considered quite a feat.

He rode Say La Vee, for 89 points; the bull scored 44.

Then he rode Slick Willy for 90 points while the bull scored 43.76.

In 2011, in Las Vegas, Nevada, Snyder won close to $220,000 when he won the Last Cowboy Standing event, which also was the 300th event of his career.

In front of 6,011 fans and a pay-per-view audience, Snyder rode Cooper Tires Wild & Out for 90 points in the progressive-elimination event.

Snyder's $216,500 payout was the highest one-day payout of the 2011 PBR BFTS season.

It was also the second highest in history.

Snyder's place in the PBR finals was then guaranteed.

Nine-time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association World Champion Cowboy Ty Murray had "wondered what a rider like Snyder, who has struggled near the cut line for much of the season, thought about going up against a rider like Valdiron de Oliveira, whose riding average is nearing 80 percent".

As it turned out, he was the only rider who rode 3 of his bulls.

"It was unbelievable to see Luke Snyder just come out of nowhere and dominate," said Murray in his weekly Podcast.

"He made three fantastic rides on three really good bulls, and I think it surprised a lot of people."

That weekend, he also just became the third rider to compete in 300 BFTS events.

Snyder decided that after marrying his girlfriend Jennifer Manna in 2012, that 2013 would be his last season.

Snyder also said he and Manna recently bought a home in Springfield, Missouri, and planned to start a family.

As of 2022, he and Manna are divorced.

His special interests include team roping, snowboarding and surfing.

In 2012, he was featured as part of a five-man team for Ford Truck's Built Ford Tough Invasion.

Snyder is known for his record of competing in 275 consecutive major PBR BFTS events.

Snyder earned $16,500 for the round and moved to first place from 31st in the season earnings race with a total of $240,000.

He scored 88 points on Slim Chance.

He scored 90.5 points on Braveheart to tie for second place in Round 2.

Prior to Snyder, now retired bull rider J.W. Hart who earned the "Iron Man" moniker owned the record with 197 events when he competed in his 198th event.

Snyder received his nickname when a sponsor with a line of titanium jewelry came to use "Titanium Tough" as a marketing tool.

Snyder had many notable rides throughout his long career that they couldn't all be included, but here are some of the more memorable ones.