ProRodeo Sports News - July 10, 2020

IN HIS WORDS ZACK JONGBLOED

Tie-down roper and steer wrestler healed and rolling I tore my knee in Ponoka (Alberta) in the draw some good calves, my horse worked well at Cowboy Christmas and I was fortunate enough to come out of there with a little money. I was pretty surprised, because I knew

Two seasons ago, Zack Jongbloed was aiming to qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo as a rookie. But a right knee injury landed the steer wrestler and tie-down roper on the sidelines and the surgeon’s table. After surgery to repair a torn ACL and a torn meniscus, Jongbloed was out six months. The 2020 Cowboy Christmas run has him back in the fold after he took home $10,778 between June 29 and July 7, moving him to 27th in the tie-down roping PRCA | RAMWorld Standings. A week prior, Jongbloed wasn’t in the top 50. The 21-year-old from Iowa, La., is also on the cusp of breaking into the all-around standings. If he can continue his hot streak, Jongbloed could be looking at his first Wrangler NFR berth.

steer wrestling, which was about 10 days before competing in Vernal (Utah). And then in tie-down roping in Vernal was where I finished it. I think I owe Vernal a little payback. I was out about six months from the surgeries.

everybody was ready to go to some rodeos because everything had been shut down for so long. I knew everybody was going to be out there and it was going to be very tough, so I was surprised I won what I did. I was happy with my performance. It (Cowboy Christmas) helped a lot. It just makes me feel like I have a chance when I back in the box. I have confidence in my horse, Stony. She’s working very well. I don’t feel like I’m bulletproof, because I know everybody else out there can rope and get it on. But winning does help your confidence. It felt good to get back in the rhythm, visit all your friends and mainly compete and do what you love. We have a few cows at the house and I worked around the farm during the pandemic. I also have a fun-jump business – Paradise Fun Jumps – that I take care of and operate, so that kept me busy. The summer months are by far the busiest. I’ve had great success with it and run it with my business partner and best friend, Jared Gaspard. Everybody’s goal is to make the National Finals and win a gold buckle, obviously. Right now, my goal is to keep plucking along, make the best out of every run and hope for the best.

It was very frustrating. My first year out there I was looking forward to it and having a good time. But at the same time everything happens for a reason. I was looking at the bright side the whole time. I knew God had a plan. I tried to make the best of it (physical therapy). It was tough, intense. I guess, like anything else, you get out of it what you put into it. I tried to take it pretty seriously. Yes, it was painful, but at the end of the day it was worth it. Therapy was tough and intense, but it wasn’t terrible. Mainly the stretches are what got me. I can handle pain pretty well, but the stretching was one of the main things that was pretty intense, and they stressed how important it was to stretch for a full recovery. Once I got released, the first couple of months it felt like I forgot how to rope or bulldog. I was all out of timing. As I continued to go to the gym and work out and condition, it gradually got better. But the road was rocky there for a while. It makes someone feel good to win a little bit. I will say I did not have a very good winter, but I was fortunate to

ProRodeo Sports News 7/10/2020

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