I first met Mason Lowe at a practice pen in Dry Fork, Arkansas — about ten minutes from my house. It wasn’t a big event. No bright lights. No television cameras. Just an open bull riding that was basically practice.

Fifty-dollar entries. Fifty-dollar payouts. Dust, sweat, and the pure love of the sport.

Mason was there. So was his sister. And so was his mother.

At the time, I was still doing interviews — recording them on an old MP3 player and sending the audio off to a company in Iowa. I don’t even think that company exists anymore. If I still had that interview today, I’d give anything to play it back. But I don’t. What I do still have is the memory of that day.

We were sitting near the chutes, watching Mason get ready. He was calm. Focused. Serious — but loose in the way only truly gifted riders are. Melissa Whisenhunt and I were visiting back and forth while both keeping one eye on Mason.

And without thinking — because sometimes honesty comes out before tact — I looked at her and said:

“Nice to meet you, ma’am… but why in the hell is Mason here?”

She snapped her head around toward me — quick — because she had been watching him intently. The look on her face said, Excuse me, sir?

I backed up immediately.

“Easy, ma’am,” I said. “I just mean — why is he riding for fifty dollars when he could be riding for fifty thousand somewhere in the PBR? Why is he here?”

And the answer she gave me in that moment is the reason I believe every bull rider should ride bulls — no matter who you are or what level you’re on.

It doesn’t matter if you’re Donny Gay, J.B. Mauney, Chase Outlaw, or — in this case — Mason Lowe.

Because her answer wasn’t about money. Or rankings. And it sure wasn’t about ego.

It was about who Mason was.

He rode because he loved it. Whether it was for a million dollars under the brightest lights, or simply for the love of competition, Mason approached it the same way — with preparation, respect, and heart.

And now — this is where I step aside. It is my honor and privilege to introduce my co-writer for this piece — Melissa Whisenhunt, Mason’s mother.

Let me now hand Melissa the pen. Here you go, ma’am. Tell your story. Tell the world what you want them to know about your son.

Melissa Whisenhunt — In Her Own Words

“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him which is able to destroy both Soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28

My son Mason held that verse close to his heart, and from a bullriders perspective it makes alot of sense.

Mason’s interpretation was: Do not fear the bull because it could only kill the body, but fear God because He was the only thing that can kill your Body and Soul.

Mason was born and raised in a small Southwest Missouri town, less than 700 people.

But the town and surrounding communities all knew who Mason Lowe was not only in his PBR years but in his youth and upcoming years as well.

Mason started on calves at 3 years old, only because he got on one sheep at a local rodeo and it stunk so bad he wouldn’t ride another.

Mason wasn’t a natural; it took a bit for him to actually catch on. But when he did there was no stopping him.

Mason and his sister Kayla performed in youth rodeo circuits such as Missouri Junior Rodeo Circuit and All Youth Rodeo Association – a sibling duo force to be reckoned with, winning multiple awards.

Mason worked hard to be the best. He had a barrel hung in a tree at home riding that thing for hours perfecting balance. Still on calves, he attended a Lyle Sankey Clinic, and I was told to prepare myself. He was going to be something great.

That Clinic worked mainly on the “get off,” which helped Mason alot and kept him from injuries. At that time the circuits were broken into age groups starting with Sheep, Calves, Steers, Pee wee and Bulls.

Mason was always a step ahead of where he was supposed to be. At the age of 12 Mason and I had a heart to heart of where this bull riding thing was going.

He just looked at me and said, “Mom I want to be a bull rider, I want to be the best”, So we headed West to Oklahoma.

Mason was getting on the likes of Stock Contractors Jack Simmons, Curtis Mendell, Paul Mendell, David Berry, David Wesson and H.D. Page. They saw something in Mason and kept throwing everything they had at him.

The first year, honestly I didn’t think the kid was going to make it.

Then it clicked, and Mason was riding at least 85–90% of his bulls. They were picnic; they were rank, and Mason’s love for the sport grew stronger as he made a name for himself in the process.

Mason was a very humble person. He never met a stranger, and he always had time for kids. At the age of 15 he discovered the name of the game wasn’t just the buckles it was money.

So after some convincing I signed the release and he got his card in the National Federation of Professional Bull Riders (“NFPB”), an organization that was intended for riders 18 and older.

He took the federation by storm, winning numerous events and awards, and was later honored with Legend status in the NFPB. He was also a member of The Bullriders of America, winning numerous events and awards there as well.

Mason’s biggest fear in life was disappointing his fans and his hometown people. He talked about that often, but I don’t ever think that could have been done.

The people around here were so proud of their hometown cowboy who they raced home on the weekends to watch on TV.

Mason never missed a chance to visit children’s hospitals at every stop. He would often be late for events because he was still playing with the kids.

When he was home, he would visit the local café. People would come at him in droves, and he would kindly pull out a chair and have conversations.

My wish for Mason is that he never be forgotten as a person — who helped many people in this area, people down on their luck financially, and gave the youth something to believe in.

Life consists of two dates and a dash. Birth. Dash. Death. And although Mason’s life was cut short at 25, he definitely made the most of the dash.

⸻

A Legacy That Lives Beyond the Arena

After that tragic Tuesday night in Denver in 2019 that took Mason Lowe’s life, doing what he loved most no matter the cost, PBR renamed the St. Louis Unleash The Beast event The Mason Lowe Memorial.

Beyond the arena, something even greater followed. People came together. Communities united. And Mason’s legacy continued doing what he had always done — helping others.

One of the most meaningful examples was the Ridin’ With Mason Lowe Memorial in Cassville, Missouri. Every dollar raised was donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, honoring Mason’s deep love for children and his desire to bring joy to them whenever he could.

That generosity was not new. While Mason was still with us, he competed at charitable events whenever possible and donated to causes he believed were worthy. Because of that spirit — and because of the way people came together after his passing — hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised to help children fight and heal, giving them a chance, as Mason would say, to never weaken.

Mason Lowe — Career Highlights

Mason Lowe earned his PBR card immediately upon turning eighteen, formally beginning a professional career that many within the sport already believed was destined for greatness in the world.

In 2013, Lowe captured the year-end title in the National Federation of Professional Bull Riders (“NFPB”), establishing himself as one of the most promising young riders in the country.

Lowe entered PBR tour competition during the 2015 season and made an immediate impact. In his rookie year, he advanced to the PBR World Finals, finishing the season with earnings exceeding $102,000 after beginning the year ranked 164th in the world.

After suffering a wrist injury during the summer of 2016, Lowe returned healthy and determined. Early in the season, in Oklahoma City, he recorded the first 90-point ride of his career, covering Bruiser, owned by D&H Cattle Company, for 91 points.

In February 2017, Lowe delivered one of the defining rides of his career, scoring 90.75 points aboard Smooth Operator, owned by Chad Berger, at that year’s Iron Cowboy, moving him into the upper tier of the world standings.

Midway through the season, Lowe claimed his first Built Ford Tough Series event victory in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

He later competed through injury, never missing an event, and finished the season ranked among the world’s elite.

Lowe qualified for the PBR World Finals three times (2015–2017).

Total Career Earnings: $395,672.83

Photo courtesy of Bull Stock Media