Weston Patterson spurs Summit Pro Rodeo’s Cowboy Fool for 89 points to win Thursday’s eighth round of the National Finals Rodeo. Patterson comes from the small town of Waverly, Kansas, population 526. He joined another hometown boy, bareback rider Jess Pope, in the winner’s circle Thursday.
(PRCA PHOTO BY LARA ST JACQUES)

 

LAS VEGAS – In the Kansas Flint Hills, being a cowboy is more of a way of life than a job description.

The small town of Waverly, Kansas, has a population of 526 souls, and everyone’s eyes are on the bright lights of Las Vegas. A sign on the edge of town boasts of it being home to world champion bareback rider Jess Pope.

The community might have to add another sign. Saddle bronc rider Weston Patterson might just join him there. It won’t happen this year, but Patterson is doing some big things during his first qualification to the National Finals Rodeo, and the biggest came during Thursday’s eighth round.

Patterson rode Summit Pro Rodeo’s Cowboy Fool for 89 points to win the night and a $36,668 paycheck, surging his NFR earnings to $85,110.

“It was a great horse,” said Patterson, 24. “He’s a bucker. They’ve won on him all yar long, so I knew I had a chance.”

“I had a great draw tonight. I knew I had a great chance as long as I did my job, and I did that. It turned out how I wanted it to.”

After a great start to his inaugural business trip to the City of Entertainment – he finished second during the Dec. 4 opening night – the success rate was put on pause. He failed to place for five straight nights, then got back into the groove in Round 7. He made his adventure even better on Cowboy Fool.

“Winning a round is just icing on the cake for me,” said Patterson, who was part of the men’s intercollegiate national championship while competing for Clarendon (Texas) College in 2021. “We’ve still got two more rounds heating up, so hopefully we can do it again.”

With the win, winners take part in the go-round buckle presentation that happens nightly at the South Point, a casino eight miles south of the Thomas & Mack Center. He and Pope took Waverly to the big stage, with Pope winning the round in bareback riding for the second straight night. The showroom stage was filled with folks from the Coffey County community.

Jess Pope is three years older than Patterson, who graduated the same year with Ty Pope, the world champion’s middle brother, in a class of 12. When Patterson took his turn on stage, the Pope family was with him.

“Since we were in about first grade, Ty and I’ve been hip and hip until we went off to college,” Patterson said.

The night, though, belonged to Patterson. He has increased his season earnings to $258,846 and sits 10th in the world standings. He credits his success to his dad, Ed, and his traveling partners, Wyatt Casper, Kade Bruno and Jake Clark. He also recognized the importance of quality coaching he received from Bret Franks, the Clarendon rodeo coach who also qualified for the NFR three times.

“If you want to be a bronc rider, that’s the place you’ve got to be,” Patterson said. “You’ll learn how to win there inside the arena and outside the arena. It’s not just to be a good bronc rider but being a good person. I think Bret was a big part of my success early on getting out of college not just learning how to ride bucking horses but what it takes outside of the arena to be a good, professional athlete.”