ProRodeo Sports News - August 10, 2018

IN HIS OWNWORDS: JAKE HANNUM PART-TIME COWBOY IN MIX FORTOUR FINALE Tie-down roper Jake Hannum has cut down on his

because I feel like they are my setup. I had good luck at both. Being that Reno (Nev.) is a circuit rodeo I went to Reno. Ponoka is just the wild card that I like. Everything went well there, I like that rodeo. It was on a Sunday, and I didn’t have to miss work. I’ve got Caldwell (Idaho) and I entered Ellensburg (Wash.). Everybody I talk to says I’m going to make the Finale at Puyallup. I don’t know. For me, it’s just a crapshoot if I happen to get lucky at one of those. If it worked out where I had my job, got to see my kids do everything and actually made the Finals, I don’t know if it could be much better. My bosses watch me a little bit and see if I’m doing good in rodeo. None of them rodeo or have followed it. My boss said, ‘We’ll cross that bridge if you happen to make it down there to the Finals.’ There’s not a lot of ag irrigation sales that go on in December, so I might be able to slip away. Summer hasn’t been too bad, but in the spring, we were going to games every direction for the kids, plus three or four practices twice a week. I think being around the family is half of why I’m winning and roping so well. Being around them, I’m enjoying when I do go and when I want to go, instead of feeling like I have to go. It also helps that I have a great horse. Greta is 10, I’ve had her for two years. If you have a chance to win, she’ll let you. If there’s a mistake it’s usually me or we didn’t draw well enough to win. I was talking today with my brother-in-law and I told him that I wished I had $5 every time someone told me to go more and try to make the National Finals. I’m old enough that I’ve tried to keep my job a priority. I know chasing the NFR is awesome, I’ve done it a long time. But realistically you need things to go the right way. I just said, if I hit at the big rodeos then everything is aligned.

I ’ve been going hard the last three years. I slowed up in the fall when I got a job. It’s been good. Every two weeks you get a check, it’s better than rodeoing. I sell agriculture irrigation. I just got lucky. I have a friend that goes to the same church. They needed an agriculture irrigation salesman. He kept trying to get me to do it, so I called about it. With connections between rodeo and different things, I’ve bumped into people who bought some agriculture irrigation fromme. It’s worked out OK. I like it. I get to drive around northern Utah. A lot of people who have ranches and farms like talking rodeo. That’s made it good, they get to talk about rodeo and I get to try and sell them irrigation systems. My company, as long as I don’t affect working, they’re OK with me rodeoing on the weekends. Everybody in my family has been excited I got a job. My wife was excited, but she didn’t think I’d last more than two weeks doing it. I’ve gotten to watch all my kids’ games and enjoy their childhood. My three kids think I’ll make the NFR, but I think I’m quite a ways from that happening. I’ve gotten lucky with how well I’ve done this year, especially in the Wrangler Tour. I’ve always enjoyed Red Bluff (Calif.) and Clovis (Calif.) rodeoing this season after getting a job with Mountainland Supply Company. That hasn’t stopped the 38-year-old, Utah cowboy from having a solid year on the rodeo trail. As of Aug. 6, Hannum was 32nd in the PRCA | RAM World Standings with $33,320. Better yet, Hannum’s 450 points in the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour had him in eighth in the Tour Standings, putting him in a strong position to qualify for the Justin Finale in Puyallup, Wash., Sept. 6-9.

Not licensed to use PRCA marks

ProRodeo Sports News 8/10/2018

ProRodeo.com

6