Monthly Archives: December 2025

The “eliminator pen” of bareback horses were perfect for Jess Pope, who finished fifth during Saturday’s third round of the National Finals Rodeo. The money from that helped the 2022 world champion cross the $1 million mark in NFR earnings. (PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL)   LAS VEGAS – Over 53 nights, Jess Pope has won more than $1 million at the National Finals Rodeo. Now competing on ProRodeo’s premier stage for the sixth time, he surpassed the mark Saturday night with a fifth-place finish in the championship’s third go-round, riding Rosser Rodeo’s Right On Q for 85.75 points. The $9,463 he pocketed pushed him over the threshold. It’s been a rapid ascent. He’s earned that kind of money over 53 rounds. A big chunk of that cash has come through his consistency. Being a three-time average champion – he won it consecutively from 2020-2022 – offers a hefty prize at the end of the 10-day run for having the highest cumulative score. He finished second in the aggregate race in 2023 and placed fifth a year ago. If he were to win a fourth this December, it would pay better than $94,000. The truth about his steady style came Saturday night during the “eliminator pen” of bareback horses. “(Saturday) was our true eliminators,” said Pope, 27, of Waverly, Kansas. “(Friday) night was our semi-eliminators, and the horse I had last night has always been in our ‘eliminator pen.’ ” His Round 2 horse was Smith Pro Rodeo’s Girl Crush, which he rode for 83.25 points. The horse threw plenty of tricks at the six-time NFR qualifier, but it was just a tip of the iceberg leading up to Round 3. “That horse I had (Saturday), I was a few points higher just because it matches everything else,” he said. “I thought I got along pretty good. I feel good. The judges that are out there, I can’t write their scores down for them, so I feel really good. “I feel confident, and I’m just happy to be here and pulling checks.” Pope is fourth in the average race, but it’s too early to put anything definitive toward that. A lot can happen over the next seven nights. Still, he’s ridden three horses for a cumulative score of 255.5 points and is less than four points behind the leader, Louisianan Waylon Bourgeois. So far, Pope has collected $41,345. He is third in the world standings with $244,974. As a veteran of the game, he understands the nature of riding bucking horses during ProRodeo’s grand championship. He’s felt the emotions, and he’s ridden all styles of bucking horses in his career. It’s just magnified on a greater scale in Las Vegas. He took note of that when he walked into the locker room. Facing the toughest-to-ride horses in the business can be intimidating. “It was a little quiet when I got in there to the locker room,” he said. “We’ve got three speakers in there, and I told them boys, ‘We need to link these speakers together and get some freaking music in here; let’s change the mood a little bit.’ “It seemed like all the young guys were pretty excited about that afterwards.” Pope keeps his emotions in check most of the time, but he has a million reasons to be excited about this NFR.

Bridger Anderson turned in a time of 3.9 seconds to finish in a tie for second place during Saturday’s third go-round of the National Finals Rodeo. (PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL)   LAS VEGAS – Adjustments are the name of the game in professional sports. After an opening-night no-time to kick off his third National Finals Rodeo, steer wrestler Bridger Anderson made some changes. Namely, he’s taken a better start, and the result is $54,061 earned over the last two nights. His most recent payday came with a 3.9-second run to finish in a tie for second place in Saturday’s third round. “On that first run, I just got an OK start, and that steer ran pretty good, a lot harder than we thought he was going to,” said Anderson, 27, of Carrington, North Dakota. “I stayed in my lane and thought that steer was going to go straight. That steer just faded to the right a little bit. “You need to ride to the cattle on every run, because this is the hardest place in the world to haze, and there’s no fault at all to my hazer. I needed to ride one to maybe two more strides to that steer, and I could have caught.” That’s exactly what has to happen to post a sub-4-second run. For doing that, Anderson earned $25,431 Saturday night, extending his season earnings to $163,388. “We got off to a rough start there,” said Anderson, who moved to ninth in the world standings. “I thought I cleaned it up tonight and got all of that start and had a good steer. We’ll just keep trying to make the best runs we can. “So far, every time we’ve nailed the barrier or got close to the barrier, we’ve gotten a pretty good check out of it.” That’s true. Steers are given a head start, and bulldoggers must stay behind a barrier line in front of the timed-event box long enough to provide the animal with a big enough lead. Breaking the barrier leads to a 10-second penalty; being too far off it results in being out of the money. Anderson is on a roll now, but he’s also taking the time to do important things while in Las Vegas. Part of his business is giving back, so he spent some of his Saturday with the Golden Circle of Champions, which benefits pediatric cancer. He and other NFR contestants spent time with the children and their families and honored them during Gold Night at the rodeo. “That Golden Circle of Champions is a pretty awesome deal,” Anderson said. “The pediatric cancer champions that come in that are battling for their lives puts into perspective what we have going on. It’s pretty minuscule in the grand scheme of things. It’s kind of a reality check, and it really makes you appreciate being healthy, your family being healthy and getting to live out your dreams.” World champions will be crowned in a week, but life’s champions were celebrated Saturday in Las Vegas.

Waylon Bourgeois rides Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Dusty Roads for 88.75 points to win Saturday’s third round of the National Finals Rodeo. Bourgeois has placed in all rounds so far. (PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL)   LAS VEGAS – Being brave isn’t about having no fear. Bravery is about being scared and overcoming it. That’s what Waylon Bourgeois faced in the “eliminator pen” of bareback horses, where he matched moves with Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Dusty Roads for 88.75 points to win Saturday’s third round of the National Finals Rodeo. “She’s a big, scary eliminator, but it’s bucking-horse riding,” said Bourgeois, 26, of Church Point, Louisiana. “You’ve just got to cowboy up and get it done.” No, that’s not just a phrase from the movie “8 Seconds.” It’s a mentality that was necessary on the hardest-to-ride bucking horses in the business. Dusty Roads is a 13-year-old buckskin mare that bucked at the NFR for the first time a year ago. She guided eventual world champion Dean Thompson to a round-winning 88-point ride in the eighth round. She was ridden just one time during the regular season, and she proved her power inside the Thomas & Mack Center on Saturday night. “I’ve seen that horse a bunch down south,” said Bourgeois, who leads the aggregate race with 259.25 points on three rides; the $36,668 increased his NFR earnings to $81,000 so far. “It’s a super strong horse. You’ve just got to keep your chin tucked and keep setting your feet, and the rest will take care of itself.” It was one of the most exciting nights of his rodeo career. An NFR go-round win is special. They can be rare. It now holds second fiddle to the day the regular season came to a close and Bourgeois realized a lifetime dream. “I’ll always remember that last day,” he said. “A weight lifted off my shoulders, but coming in here, one of my goals was to get a round win. Haven gotten that, I have another weight lifted off my shoulders.” It’s been an exceptional start to his 10-day campaign. He’s placed in three straight rounds and leads the race to the average championship. Alas, there are seven rounds remaining, and the aggregate title goes to the man with the best cumulative score on three rides. He owns just a quarter-of-a-point lead on Wacey Schalla, who is second in the race. The good news is that Bourgeois has increased his season earnings to $218,637 and sits fifth in the world standings. He’s seen the bright lights of Las Vegas and hasn’t squinted yet. He made his first trip to the South Point for the go-round buckle presentation Friday, tagging along with traveling partner and Round 2 winner Rocker Steiner. This time, though, Bourgeois will stand at the front of the stage and receive his trinkets. “I’m still hungry, and I’m coming for some more,” he said. “I rode over to the South Point with Rocker and seen it, and I told myself that I was going to be there.” He is now.

Kade Sonnier secured his first payday of the National Finals Rodeo after an 83.75-point ride on Penthouse Pro Rodeo’s Minnesota Joe during Friday’s second round. (PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL)   LAS VEGAS – True competitors know how to rise to the occasion. Take bareback rider Kade Sonnier. His opening night of the National Finals Rodeo didn’t go as he had planned. He finished toward the bottom of the round after an 81.5-point ride on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Night Delta. He wanted better. He expected better He got it during Friday’s second round with an 83.75-point ride on Penthouse Pro Rodeo’s Minnesota Joe to finish in a three-way tie for fifth place to collect $5,126. With go-round winners pocketing nearly $37,000 a night, Sonnier is pushing for more, but he’ll take any dollars he can get out of Las Vegas. Two seasons ago, Sonnier – a 26-year-old, second-generation NFR cowboy from Carencro, Louisiana – earned his first trip to the bright lights in the City of Entertainment. He shined among them all, placing in seven rounds and finishing in a tie for third in the all-important average. He left town with $112,000 in his Ariat jeans and was building a solid resume during his rookie season in ProRodeo. He finished the year third in the world standings with more than $270,000 in earnings. His sophomore campaign wasn’t quite as luxurious, though. Injuries blasted his momentum, and even though he earned nearly $100,000 in 2024, he did not finish among the top 15 at the end of the regular season, which is what it takes to play on the sport’s biggest stage. He rallied this year. He has pushed his earnings to $186,633 and sits 10th on the money list. The best part for the southern Louisiana bronc buster is that there are eight nights of big bucks remaining. The next run-in will be with Dakota Rodeo’s Wild N Out in Saturday’s “eliminator pen” of bucking horses, the hardest-to-ride of the 105 animals selected to buck at the NFR. The big, powerful horse has been part of some key rides this season. In January, judges marked Wild N Out 48 out of a possible 50 points. That’s an opportunity and a challenge, which is what the elite bareback riders face on a regular basis. Over the course of the season, Sonnier secured victories at 13 rodeos. He’s at the biggest one of the year, home of a $13.5 million purse. This is where he wants to get on a roll and return home with boatload of Las Vegas cash.

Steer wrestler Bridger Anderson didn’t let a first-round hiccup slow him down. He made a 4.0-second run to finish in the money during Tuesday’s second round of the National Finals Rodeo. (PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL)   LAS VEGAS – Rodeo is a bit of a roller coaster, with highs and lows throughout any season. The National Finals Rodeo is the same, just on a grander scale. A night after being saddled with a no-time, steer wrestler Bridger Anderson cleaned the dirt off his Cinch jeans and went back to work. He powered his steer to the ground in 4.0 seconds to finish in a tie for third place in Friday’s second go-round, earning $18,630. It was an important step for a cowboy competing at his third NFR. Originally from Carrington, North Dakota, Anderson secured his first trip to the finale in 2020, when a worldwide pandemic forced the championship out of Sin City and into a Texas baseball stadium He cleared $77,000 that December. Anderson returned to the NFR in 2023 and rode the hills and valleys of intense competition. He never let a bad run slow him, though, and left Las Vegas with $121,000. He understands that the thrill of the ride comes with every acceleration and dissention that comes with the game. While it was Anderson’s first payday of the week, he has eight more nights remaining to cash in during the world’s richest rodeo, where go-round winners pocket nearly $37,000 per night in each event. Now living near Millsap, Texas, the North Dakota cowboy has felt the rush that comes with nightly victories. The first time that happened was at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, when he shared the Round 2 victory. He earned two round wins during the 2023 NFR and placed on three other nights. Friday’s run was just the start. Riding Whiskers, a 16-year-old bay gelding he owns, Anderson has all the confidence necessary to compete at a night level. He’s also enlisted the hazing help of Tyler Pearson, a six-time NFR qualifier who won the 2017 bulldogging world championship. Pearson is considered one of the top cowboys when it comes to hazing, which serves as an assistant to keep the steers lined out for the contestant. In addition to being an elite competitor in his prime, Pearson has also ridden some of the best hazing horses in the business, and this year is no different. He is handling his duties on Metallica, a gray horse that has been a stalwart in the business for a long time. When it all comes together, Anderson shines. He’s looking to be one of the brightest lights in the City of Entertainment for eight more nights.

Bareback rider Waylon Bourgeois was tested by Diamond G Rodeo’s Raelynn For The Win, but the Louisiana cowboy passed with an 83.75-point score to finish in a three-way tie for fifth during Friday’s second round of the National Finals Rodeo. (PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL)   LAS VEGAS – The exam for Saturday night’s “eliminator pen” of bareback horses, and Waylon Bourgeois passed the test. He rode Diamond G Rodeo’s Reaelynn For The Win for 83.75 points and finished in a three-way tie for fifth place during Friday’s second round of the National Finals Rodeo, pocketing $5,126 in the process. He has earned $44,000 in two nights of work inside the Thomas & Mack Center on the University of Nevada-Las Vegas campus. “That was more of a difficult horse to ride in bareback riding,” said Bourgeois, 26, of Church Point, Louisiana. “It just boils down to getting your job done and doing the best you can. It’s good that we got another check.” The 105 bareback horses in Las Vegas were selected by the men who are here to ride them. They are separated into five pens: souped-up hoppers, which are considered easier to ride; rank; eliminators, the most difficult; hoppers, the easiest; and the TV pen, which is described as the most electric and stylish broncs going. Friday’s grouping set the 15 cowboys up for what they’ll experience Saturday before getting a bit of a break Sunday. Bourgeois will be matched with Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Dusty Roads, a 13-year-old buckskin that has overpowered most of his opponents over the last three years. The highest-marked ride came during the eighth round of last year’s NFR, when reigning world champion scored 88 points to win the night. The match-ups are just part of the game, and Bourgeois is riding high this season. He knows there will be highs and lows that come with the roller coaster that is rodeo. “Every day is a new day, and I’m super thankful for each day I wake up,” he said. “Being a professional athlete, you’ve just got to take it one day at a time. What happened yesterday … that was yesterday. What happened tonight was tonight, and what’s going to happen tomorrow is in God’s hands. “Those (eliminator pen) horses are going to be a little harder than they were tonight. It just boils down to doing your job the best you can, and however the chips fall is where they lay. You’ve just got to move on.” It’s the right mindset for the biggest stage in the game. Bourgeois has increased his season earnings to $182,000 during his first bid to the NFR. “That’s the cool thing about rodeo: you get to move on, so we have eight more nights of this,” he said.

Garrett Shadbolt had to wait out some tense moments but secured a big-money payday after his 84-point ride on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Big Show to finish in a tie for third place in Friday’s second round of the National Finals Rodeo. (PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL)   LAS VEGAS – Garrett Shadbolt had reserved himself to his fate. Scoring 84 points just doesn’t win much at the National Finals Rodeo, and he knows that from experience. This is his fourth qualification to the sport’s Super Bowl, and he’s seen it before. “I was thinking, ‘There’s no freaking way I’m going to win a check out of this round,” said Shadbolt, 29, a bareback rider from Merriman, Nebraska. “I was proud of my ride. “That’s a good horse, but I didn’t know if he was usually good enough here. I was keeping my head up, and then the next guy was 83.75. then it was 81.5 and another 83.75. I had not won a check in 12 rounds and in a couple of years. Last year’s NFR was so brutal.” It had been since the ninth round of the 2022 championship since Shadbolt had cashed in, but he made things work with Championship Pro Rodeo’s Big Show, finishing in a tie for third place on the second night of this year’s festival, pocketing $18,630. With that, he pushed his season earnings to $196,891 and sits seventh in the world standings with eight nights remaining in the 2025 season. “I celebrated (Thursday’s first round ride) just like I’d won money, because I was so proud of that ride,” he said of another 84, which resulted in an 11th-place finish. “My spirits are high. I knew I was riding good, but I’ve also been here where you just never know what’s going to happen. “I was on the back of the bucking chutes, and more and more guys were underneath me. I think I started hyperventilating a little bit, because I was like, ‘I might win a check out of this thing.’ ” He did, and a big sigh of relief followed. It comes from a man on a mission, a man who has had a sour taste in his mouth for 12 months after a disappointing 2024 championship in which he failed to reach the pay window in any of the 10 rounds. “You’ve got to build yourself all the way back up again,” said Shadbolt, who first qualified for the NFR in 2021. “You get knocked down in this game, and you’ve got to get yourself back up and go back out there and do it again.” That meant getting on the biggest and baddest bucking horses in rodeo for Saturday night. The NFR roughstock competition is broken down into five styles of bucking horses, and the third round features the “eliminator pen,” the toughest-to-ride broncs in the business. “I’m ready for it,” he said. “I’m not scared of anything in that pen.” Shadbolt will be matched with Powder River Rodeo’s Juice Box, a horse that’s generated high stock scores this year. With judges marking the animal 1-50, officials have marked the bronc 45 points are better on multiple occasions during the 2025 season. For now, though, he’ll cherish another NFR payday. “It’s even more special, because George and Mavis, my two oldest (children), were at the rodeo and got to watch,” Shadbolt said. “I’m excited to head back up with them and celebrate a big check. “After two good rides and a big check, my spirits are high, and I’m ready to have a big week.”

Tucker Allen competed in his 12th National Finals Rodeo go-round Friday and won the night with a 3.6-second steer wrestling run, earning a trip to the South Point for the buckle presentation. (PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL)   LAS VEGAS – It’s eight miles from the Thomas & Mack Center to the South Point, but the resort is the place every cowboy wants to be after each go-round at the National Finals Rodeo. The South Point hosts the nightly Montana Silversmiths Go-Round Buckle Presentation, and nightly winners are presented trinkets to go along with their prize money. Steer wrestler Tucker Allen made his first trip to the southern side of Las Vegas Boulevard, stopping the clock in 3.6 seconds to win Friday’s second round and pocketing $36,668 for the feat. As part of the celebration, winners sometimes splurge on a limousine or a party bus to enjoy the venture. “I might have to do that,” said Allen, 26, a two-time NFR qualifier from Ventura, California. “I have a right blinker out on my truck, so we probably should take a limo.” He was certainly enjoying his moment in the bright lights in the City of Entertainment. In his second straight trip to ProRodeo’s grand finale, Allen earned his first nightly title through 12 rounds of competition. “I knew he was a round-win chance,” Allen said, referring to the steer with which he had been matched. “I knew I could place within the top three for sure on that steer, because I knew I could catch up in a good spot. I told myself to try to blow the barrier out and risk breaking it.” The start is vital, especially in that building. The arena is built on top of the basketball court, so the dimensions are small. Fast times need quick break off the starting line. The steers are provided a head start with a barrier line placed in front of the contestant. If the cowboy doesn’t give the cow enough of a lead, a broken barrier will result in a 10-second penalty. If there is a delay and the steer gets too big a lead, then the time will likely be too slow to collect cash. Allen time the start just right. Riding Banker, the 2025 PRCA/AQHA Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year owned by traveling partner Justin Shaffer, Allen got to the steer quickly, then turned the animal on its side in a hurry. It’s just what the doctor ordered for the California bulldogger, who earned $92,000 a year ago at the NFR but was hoping for a better showing – a good portion of his earnings came from finishing fourth in the average, finishing with one of the fastest cumulative times on 10 runs. “Nobody really remembers fourth, so I told myself, ‘Be more aggressive, take more risk and just get greedier,” Allen said. “Don’t worry about the average and treat each run like a one-header. I was lucky to get out, and Banker worked great. Justin hazed outstanding, and I was happy to do my job.” In addition to owning the horse and being an NFR qualifier himself, Shaffer served as the hazer for Allen and Jesse Brown, helping keep the steers lined out for both cowboys. “Banker is the horse of the year, and he’s just a freak of nature,” Allen said. “He’s so sharp off the line, yet he runs such a good pattern, is broke and has a good mind. It makes it so simple where you hit the cory and not worry if he’s going to flinch. You can take your start and just put your hand down, and he’s going to run in the perfect spot and let you do your job. “Justin is one of the greatest hazers there’s ever been; he’s just so cowboy. His ability to haze from all the colts he’s started, the day-work and just being a cowboy. I think a lot of the hazers are good cowboys. That’s why guys trust them in hairy situations.” Making the NFR is a huge accomplishment in rodeo. There were dozens of cowboys within range of advancing, but only the top 15 on the money list at the end of the regular season earn the right to play for the biggest pay in the game. Winning a round takes everything up a notch. “It’s pretty surreal,” he said. “I know this is something you dream of as soon as you start learning how to bulldog and rope and do anything in rodeo. I don’t get emotional, but I almost got a little emotional in the (television) interview. My stepdad, Teddy Robinson, is the reason I’m here today. I just had to give him a shout-out, and it kind of choked me up aa little. “He’s coming out to rope (next) week, but I just wanted him to know when he was at home watching on TV that I appreciate everything he did for me.” Allen is also doing a lot for himself.

National Finals Rodeo first-timer Waylon Bourgeois didn’t let any rookie jitters get in the way during Thursday’s opening performance. He finished second in the first go-round and earned nearly $29,000. (PRCA PHOTO BY MALLORY BEINBORN)   LAS VEGAS – Waylon Bourgeois isn’t going to lie. The emotions surrounding his first qualification to the National Finals Rodeo have been incredible. After just missing the mark a year ago, the bareback rider made the transition to the biggest stage of rodeo. He entered this year’s competition as the 12th-ranked cowboy in the world standings, earning the right to be part of this exclusive field, which features only the top 15 on the money list at the conclusion of the regular season. But this is a big step to the big time, with a payout of more than $17 million. “The nerves have been outrageous,” said Bourgois, 26, of Church Point, Louisiana. “You’ve got to be able to control yourself. You’ve got to be able to handle yourself and know that you belong here. That’s what I had to keep telling myself all week. “We drove over that hill and just saw Vegas, and it’s huge. My hands started sweating, and I had to keep telling myself, ‘You belong with all the bareback riders.’ Even at the back-number ceremony (two days before the NFR began), all the bareback riders went out to eat dinner, and that’s what everybody was preaching. “We didn’t make this by accident. We deserve to be here, and we belong here. You just have to take control of yourself and own it.” He did, riding Korkow Rodeo’s Rubber Match for 86.75 points to finish second during Thursday’s opening round. That was worth $28,980 “Yeah, that’s my biggest paycheck ever,” said Bourgeois, who pushed his season earnings to $176,843. He moved up two spots to 10th on the money list. “I don’t mind looking at those numbers.” A smile flashed across his face, because those childhood dreams are becoming reality. “Once you crawl in them yellow bucking chutes, you forget about everything, and all you know is the one thing,” he said. “That’s just do your job.” Based on a 100-point scale, half the score is on how well the animal bucks. The other is based on how well a bareback rider will spur from above the points of the shoulders and back to his rigging while setting his feet above the shoulders before the bronc’s front feet hit the ground again. That is the rhythm that leads to big scores and bigger payouts. It can be a blur, especially with the emotions that come with the NFR. It’s like traveling back in time. “The first time you get on your first bareback horse, everything goes blank,” Bourgeois said. “That’s kind of how it can be here, but for me, I actually remember it all.” Bourgeois is making memories and pocketing Las Vegas cash at the same time. That’s what the NFR is about.

Weston Patterson made his first ride at his first National Finals Rodeo count, scoring 88.5 points on Cervi’s Womanizer to finish second during Thursday’s opening round. (PRCA PHOTO BY MALLORY BEINBORN)   LAS VEGAS – A few minutes after his opening-round ride at the National Finals Rodeo, saddle bronc rider Weston Patterson was looking for video. “I literally blacked out and don’t remember my ride until the whistle blew,” said Patterson, a first-time NFR qualifier from Waverly, Kansas. “I got off on the pickup man, got down and just heard the crowd. That was pretty cool.” Yes, it was. It was just as exciting to watch the replay on Snapchat. He matched moves with Cervi Brothers’ Womanizer for 88.5 points to finish as the runner-up on Night 1 of ProRodeo’s grand championship. For that, Patterson pocketed $28,280 and moved from 11th to eighth in the world standings. “That’s just a really good horse,” Patterson said of the 2020 PRCA Saddle Bronc of the Year. “That’s really the one you want. I knew it was going to be a good chance to do something if he had his day.” The powerful paint did, and so did Patterson, a College National Finals Rodeo qualifier while competing at Clarendon (Texas) College. It was a big move on the first night of his first NFR. “I wasn’t really nervous tonight,” he said. “I was just excited to get this started.” There’s a lot of new when it comes to competing on the sport’s biggest stage. This is where every young cowboy dreams of being, which offers a purse of $17.5 million. By the time the 10-day championship comes to a close Dec. 13, the world champions will be crowned. Patterson has increased his season earnings to $212,715, with nearly $40,000 coming during the opening week in Las Vegas. In addition to the money earned Thursday, each qualifier earns $10,000 for advancing to the championship. “Probably the coolest thing I’ve gotten to experience is just hearing that crowd when I got off that horse,” said Patterson, who finished the 2021 intercollegiate campaign as the reserve champion and was part of men’s team title at Clarendon. The last time he was in competition was the Sept. 30, and he won the bronc-riding in Roggen, Colorado. He decided to knock the rust off his riding skills a couple weeks ago. “It went OK, but I got bucked off two of the three horses I got on,” he said with a laugh. “It didn’t really affect my confidence, though. I just thought, ‘You rode well enough to get there, so just go out there and have fun.’ ” It’s working so far.

Jess Pope, the 2022 world champion bareback rider, returned to his home turf at the National Finals Rodeo, scoring a third-place finish during Thursday’s opening round of the National Finals Rodeo. (PRCA PHOTO BY MALLORY BEINBORN)   LAS VEGAS – Home for Jess Pope is a nice place in the Kansas Flint Hills that he shares with his wife, but he’s made quite a second residence in Sin City. He proved it again during Thursday’s first go-round of the National Finals Rodeo, riding the Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics bronc Land of Fancy for 86.5 points to finish in third place, collecting $21,882. He moved from fourth to second in the bareback riding world standings with $235,512. “That’s one I’ve really been wanting to get on,” said Pope, the 2022 world champion from Waverly, Kansas. “I got on her in the short round of Pendleton (Oregon). She kind of dragged her nose on the ground when I got on her the first time, and I ended up third on her. When I saw that draw out for today, I was pretty damned tickled.” He proved why. The bay mare allowed Pope to show off his spur stroke, which is why the two matched for a high finish and big bucks. “She’s one of the younger horses, and last year was the first year we brought her to the finals,” he said, pointing out that the bareback riders select the top 105 horses from throughout the season to be part of the 10-day championship. “When you go to one of the (Sankey) rodeos, she’s definitely one of the ones you want.” It also helps that Pope is riding a wave of confidence. This marks the sixth straight NFR qualification for the cowboy who competed in intercollegiate rodeo at Missouri Valley College. He is a three-time NFR average champion; he had the best 10-ride cumulative score in 2020, ’21 and ’22. He’s comfortable competing on ProRodeo’s biggest stage. The NFR features only the top 15 contestants in each event from the given regular season. The men and women who compete in Las Vegas have earned the right to battle for rodeo’s gold. “Everybody’s got a different way of looking in our locker room,” Pope said, referring to the 14 other bareback riders. “The only thing that everybody has the same thing for is the respect, because it takes a hell of a lot of work to get there. Everybody respects everybody that’s sitting in there. Everybody just handles everything different. “The young guys are wound tighter than a clock, and then you’ve got me and Tilden (Hooper) that are just cracking dad jokes and hanging out just laughing and having fun. But we all love riding bucking horses and have mad respect for how you get to that room.” Make no mistake, this event has a level of magnitude that is unmatched in rodeo. There can be a lot of emotions involved with playing in the sport’s World Series. “It all just seems surreal,” he said. “Just showing up, I think, ‘Wow, I’m actually here.’ It’s weird, because the last couple of years, I’ve gotten calmer and calmer coming into Round 1, but tonight, I was about freaking myself out thinking, ‘Golly, should I be a little bit more wound up than this?’ I’m back there yawning and singing the national anthem and just kind of hanging out, but I think it’s good. “When I crawl in that bucking chute, it’s time to go.” It’s the NFR, so it’s always go-time for Pope.

Defending steer wrestling world champion J.D. Struxness kicked off his 2025 National Finals Rodeo by finishing in a three-way tie for second place in Thursday’s first round. (PRCA PHOTO BY MALLORY BEINBORN)   LAS VEGAS – The money in ProRodeo has changed considerably since J.D. Struxness first started his career. Nine years ago, he earned $26,000 for winning a round at the National Finals Rodeo. On Thursday night, he collected $22,080 for finishing in a three-way tie for second place in the opening night of ProRodeo’s Super Bowl. It’s a good time to be competing in the grand championship, and it’s an important start to his NFR. He grappled his steer to the ground in 4.2 seconds, sharing that runner-up spot in the round with fellow bulldoggers Ty Erickson and Kyle Irwin. “This is definitely how we want to start it,” said Struxness of Milan, Minnesota. “We’ll take a big win tonight. These two horses have been doing a really good job this year, but it’s their first year rodeoing and their first year out here. “I thought the horses were good. They handled the pressure very well, so we’re going to be very excited moving forward.” Ice and Jenny are new to the team this year. Ice is a 7-year-old gray gelding that moved from backup to the first squad after Struxness’ good horse, Izzy, suffered an injury earlier this year. Jenny is a 6-year-old hazing horse ridden by veteran hazer Matt Reeves to help keep the steers lined out and to allow for faster times. Speed is the name of the game. Struxness knows that as well as anyone. He is the reigning world champion steer wrestler who is playing on the grandest stage in rodeo for the seventh time. He understands the magnitude of playing the game at this level, but he had to just trust the nerves of his equine partners. Fortunately, he used both at the Canadian Finals Rodeo in October and the Hondo Rodeo last month. “They locked in right away, and they worked great,” said Struxness, the 2016 intercollegiate champion while competing at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. “For them to be able to do that the first night is great. It’s a loud, small building, bright lights. You have nerves on the first night, but you have to remind yourself of how many big rodeos we’ve won on them this year. It is a relief to get them out here and get that first run out of the way and know they work. We’re excited about that, and now we’ll just keep building confidence on top of that.” With his winnings, the Minnesota cowboy now living in Perrin, Texas, increased his season hearings to $170,752 and moved up one spot to fourth in the world standings. He trails the leader, Mississippi cowboy Will Lummus, by $34,000 with nine nights remaining in the world’s richest rodeo. Struxness has been down this road. He knew how to prepare himself, but he’s taken the last few weeks to make sure Ice and Jenny were ready. “We made sure we took the start you need out here right away, because that’s the most important thing, and made sure they would go fast,” he said. “They’ve been handling everything with stride and have stepped up in a big way this year.” So has Struxness.

Bradlee Miller rides Championship Pro Rodeo’s Sweet Tequila for 86 points to finish fifth during Thursday’s first round of the National Finals Rodeo at Las Vegas. (PRCA PHOTO BY MALLORY BEINBORN)   LAS VEGAS – The National Finals Rodeo offers tremendous challenges that cowboys and cowgirls must overcome. Bradlee Miller experienced a new one on Thursday’s opening night when he arrived at the Thomas & Mack Center for his rematch with Championship Pro Rodeo’s Sweet Tequila. “I was the last person to get on Sweet Tequila,” Miller said of that September ride in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he posted an 86.75 marking on the Oklahoma horse. “The funny thing was I’ve been on that horse, but I had never been on a horse in any of the gear other than my spurs today.” Bareback riders are decked out, some of it in the style necessary to ride bucking horses, and some of it out of necessity. The riggin’ is important, made specifically for each man. So is the neck roll, which protects the spine as much as possible during the intense action of a ride. Miller didn’t arrive at the arena with everything. “I have brand new chaps, a brand new glove, a new rigging, and then I happened to forget my arm brace (which is attached on his right riding arm), which is possibly the second most important thing I have,” he said. “Thankfully, (fellow bareback rider) Mason Clements had one that was close to fit, so I guess it worked.” It did. Miller and Sweet Tequila danced across the arena dirt for 86 points, which was good enough for fifth place in the first round, worth $9,463. The cowboy increased his season earnings to $226,937 and is fourth in the world standings. “That horse is awesome,” said Miller, 22, of Huntsville, Texas. “If you look at the stats, a lot of people had trouble this year, but that horse has had a different trip with me the last two times than it has with anybody else. It was nearly identical to Sioux Falls. “I knew if I could get ahold of her (with his spurring motion) right out of the chute that we could get her to stay closer to the bucking chutes than he wants to. He wants to be picked up like that, but you just have to ask.” Cowboys have always used various techniques to get horses to perform, whether it’s vocal calls or coaxing the animal with the heels of their boots. When it comes to bucking horses, the men that ride them utilize those foot skills to make things happen. With half the score coming from how well the bronc performs, it’s a vital piece of any ride. The ride also set a tone Miller wants to take for the remainder of the 10-day championship. “The money at this rodeo is unreal to anywhere else we go,” he said. “To win fifth and almost win a $10,000 check, that’s a huge win at a huge rodeo during the regular season.” There is a lot riding on every go-round performance. Nightly winners will pocket nearly $37,000 in each event. With dollars equaling championship points, every nickel counts, which just adds to the pressure of competing at ProRodeo’s biggest event. “I was more nervous this year than I was last year,” said Miller, competing in Las Vegas for the second straight season. “Last year when I showed up, I had nothing to lose and everything to prove. After a good performance last year, I feel like I have to do better to achieve my personal goals.” He’s off on the right foot toward that at this NFR, and he has nine nights to exceed it.