Cal State Monterey Bay (CSUMB) has a rodeo team. It competes under the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA). But you may not have heard of it–because its coach, leader and sole competitor is one man: Luke Brigantino.
As an independent athlete, Brigantino competes under CSUMB’s banner, but that’s about it. Establishing the team required a little more than paperwork, but everything else has been up to him.
Brigantino competes in the team roping event, where two riders on horseback work together to rope a steer– one controlling its head and the other its back feet. His partner, whom he met at a clinic, competes under Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s rodeo program. They’ve been working together ever since.
Brigantino has been involved in rodeo for five years, starting when he entered college. He grew up near Pasadena, before moving to Salinas to work as a real cowboy. That was how he was introduced to the sport.
“Doing real cowboy stuff, you know, getting paid for it,” he said.
He only has 1 year of college eligibility left. After that, he plans to start competing professionally. But that doesn’t mean it all comes naturally for him. He describes team roping as one of the hardest things he’s ever done.
“I’m five years into this and I feel like I’m still just getting started,” he said.
Brigantino competes in 10 rodeos a year across California. He wears a CSUMB-branded rodeo vest, which he had to print himself to fit in with the other student-athletes. Unlike those in structured athletic programs, he manages everything on his own.
“I had to handle everything myself–organizing, travel, managing finances, securing practice facilities and balancing academics with training,” he said.
Brigantino works with his two horses, Billy and Shiloh, almost every day. Like any athlete, competing is a full-time job. “That coach is in Salinas, basically I leave home in Hollister, come to school, do school, and then after I meet my coach over at the ranch and we exercise horses. We rope the dummy, which is just like. Pull behind like an ATV. We do that like two to three times a week,” said Brigantino.
But Brigantino isn’t entirely alone. He does have a support system at Cal Poly, including coaches and teammates who have helped him navigate the challenges of competing as a solo athlete.
“My coach, Peaches McKenzie, and the Forum Ranch family have been instrumental in my journey. Peaches has helped me grow as a competitor and guided me through the unique challenges of being an independent student-athlete,” he said. “Forum Ranches [where he trains] has given me a place to train and a support system that feels like family–something I’ll always be thankful for. I’ve also been fortunate to have guidance from Ben Londo, who has shaped so many athletes and continues to inspire me.”
There’s a long history of ranching in the Monterey area. While Brigantino doesn’t consider himself part of that legacy just yet, he is steadily becoming a part of it. He sees potential for a rodeo program at CSUMB – something he hopes to help grow, whether as a competitor or a coach.
“I would love to help grow college rodeo in this area so that future student-athletes don’t have to take the independent route like I did,” he said. “There’s so much untapped potential here and having a local program would give kids an option close to home.”