2024 PRORODEO Media Guide

2023 WRANGLER NFR PERSONNEL

John Harrison – Barrelman John Harrison has worked rodeos from coast to coast and has made 12 appearances at the prestigious Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, three times as a specialty act performer and 9 times as a barrelman. In 2012, 2014-15, 2020 23, John picked up the coveted award of Comedy Act of the Year. Capping his achievements, he brought home the gold buckle, that represents the work he does in the barrel, of Coors Man in the Can 7 times. For the First time in his career in 2022, he was awarded Clown of the Year! He feels blessed to be doing what he loves and with those he loves at his side. Harrison has earned his share of Wrangler NFR buckles, but the one he wears most often doesn’t even have his own name on it - it was given to the bull riding

average winner at the 1967 NFR. “This will be the (57th) year since my grandad rode Tornado,” says Harrison, recalling the storied night that Freckles Brown became the first man to last eight seconds on the fearsome bull. Back then, the NFR was held in Oklahoma City, and Harrison revisited the scene. “Those old chutes are still under the bleachers at the Jim Norick Arena – they’re under the bleachers, concreted in,” Harrison said. “We crawled in to see them. It’s dark and dingy under there, but we used our cell phones for lights. It was neat to see where that happened. He got his gold buckles (Brown was also the 1962 world champion bull rider), and for me, that was winning ‘Coors Man in the Can’ for top barrelman in 2014 and 2016-23. Harrison said he thinks about his grandfather beforehand, behind the scenes, when he works the barrel at the Wrangler NFR. But once the rodeo starts, it’s all business - and at the Wrangler NFR, that means staying in the barrel to focus on safety, anticipating the exact second to start creeping toward the bull and rider. “Those guys are riding for so much money there, more than $25,000 a night, which could make a down payment on a ranch,” notes Harrison. “At any other rodeo, after every bull I’m out of the barrel, interacting with the crowd. But there, it’s about timing and safety and staying out of the way of the TV cameras.” In 2023, Harrison was chosen as Comedy Act of the Year, Man in the Can and PRCA Clown/Barrelman of the Year for the second year in a row. Nathan Jestes – Bullfighter

The role of a bullfighter is to distract and divert the attention of the bulls away from fallen or injured cowboys, thus protecting the riders. Nathan Jestes has been selected to fight bulls at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo four times and been nominated as the PRCA’s Bullfighter of the Year seven times in his career. He considers his job of saving lives an honor and a privilege. Jestes likes working with Cody Webster,“Web and I have always worked good together,”Jestes said.“He’s one of those guys that when you step into the arena with him, it just makes our job easier. I can trust he’ll have his stuff handled, and he knows I’ll be right there when I’m needed. It’s just second nature to us anymore. We’re able to react and do our jobs. We can trust each other to do our parts. When you work with someone like that, it just makes your job easier.”

Make no mistake. Bullfighting isn’t easy, but it is vital. Bulls are aggressive by nature, and it takes a bit of gumption to ride a bucking bovine; it takes more guts to step into the arena and be in a position to keep those bull riders safe after each ride ends. Bullfighters use their ability to “read” the animals, react to their maneuvers and control their own athleticism to keep themselves and all others out of harm’s way. It takes special souls to be able to look danger in the eyes and attack it head-on. “I fight bulls because it’s what I love to do,” Jestes said. “I have an amazing schedule, and I work a lot of the best rodeos all year long. To be selected to fight at the NFR is a huge honor. To get to step down in that arena, to get to breath that air that not a lot of people get to breath and protect the best bull riders in the game, it’s the biggest privilege I’ve ever had in my life, other than being a dad. Jestes is a husband to Bridget and a daddy to Harper and Channing.

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BULLFIGHTERS, CLOWNS AND BARRELMEN