ProRodeo Sports News - August 18, 2023

Surprises CACHE COUNTY FAIR & RODEO

LOGAN, UTAH

BY BRADY RENCK, Special to ProRodeo Sports News T he unpredictable nature of rodeo unfolds with every swing of a horse’s neck trunk and kick of a bull’s legs. There are no guarantees when dealing with ornery stock. But, on occasion, something happens unexpected that turns a weekend into a terrific memory. As 27-year-old bareback rider Jacob Lees pushes for his first berth in the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, he ran into a streak of good fortune at the Cache County Fair and Rodeo in Logan Utah, walking away the champion. He rode Legacy Pro Rodeo’s War Widow to the crown at the Playoff Series Rodeo. “Well, so I first had a young horse drawn up. But when I got there something had happened to that horse and it had gotten hurt somehow. They had to replace the horse, and when they drew again, I got (War Widow). I was surprised that someone had turned that horse out,” Lees explained. Lees couldn’t hide his satisfaction with his new ride. He had previously won on the Legacy Pro Rodeo horse in Eagle Mountain, Utah. As such, his confidence was high when the chute opened. “That horse is super awesome and super electric. She is not easy to ride, but I would say she is fun to ride,” said Lees, who lives just outside of Fort Worth, Texas. “I was the third one out. They announced my score in the arena as an 85.5. That put me in second place. But when they added it up again, it was an 86.5. So, it was good enough for the win. That was two great surprises in one day.” For Lees, the final six weeks of the season are more chess than checkers. He is close to his 100-rodeo limit, so he must be strategic in his final events as he races to reach the sport’s biggest stage in Las Vegas. “I have to pick and choose where I go carefully. But I think I have a solid plan worked out,” Lees said. Lees likes the adrenaline of the sport. He rode bulls for a long time and transitioned to horses. Success followed. And now he’s living his dream while chasing his dream. “I love getting on the bucking horses. And the free lifestyle we live where we don’t have to answer to anyone is great,” Lees said. “I always wanted to be a cowboy (as he grew up on a ranch). When I got into bareback, it was kind of dying out. At first, there weren’t as many guys doing it. I got on a lot of bulls. But I got better and better on the horses, so it made the decision easy. It would mean the world to me to make it to the NFR. That’s every cowboy’s goal.” Bareback rider Jacob Lees’ good fortune results in victory

TOP SCORES TOP MONEY

EARNER Cole Eiguren ($4,794, tie down roping) BAREBACK RIDING Eiguren

1. Jacob Lees ........................... 86.5 pts. 2. Taylor Broussard ........................... 86 3. Cooper Cooke ............................. 85.5 STEER WRESTLING 1. Mike McGinn ......................... 3.6 sec. 2. Cash Robb ................................... 3.7 3. Jace Melvin .................................. 3.8 TEAM ROPING 1. D. Egusquiza/L. Lord ............. 3.4 sec. 2. J. Smith/D. Rich ........................... 4.1 3. Four teams tied at ........................ 4.2 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Dawson Hay ........................ 85.5 pts. 2. Leon Fountain ............................... 85 3. Two tied at ..................................... 84 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Cole Eiguren .......................... 7.6 sec. 2. Shane Hanchey ............................ 7.8 3. Two tied at .................................... 7.9 BARREL RACING 1. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi ....... 17.16 sec. 2. Stevi Hillman ............................ 17.20 3. Kelly Allen ................................ 17.27 BULL RIDING 1. Garrett Smith ....................... 90.5 pts. 2. Kade Madsen .............................. 89.5 3. Dalton McCaslin ............................ 89

Amanda Dilworth photo Jacob Lees captured a big win at the Cache County Fair and Rodeo in Logan Utah with an 86.5-point ride on Legacy Pro Rodeo’s War Widow.

ProRodeo Sports News 8/18/2023

ProRodeo Sports News 8/18/2023

ProRodeo.com

ProRodeo.com

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