ProRodeo Sports News - August 2, 2019

SHERIDAN WYO RODEO SHERIDAN, WYO.

Jones scores first big win of career Tenacious B BY MATT NABER S teer wrestler Blair Jones had won only two ProRodeo competitions since purchasing his card in 2014. His dry spell was approaching three years, and he ended the 2018 season with $398.

ALL-AROUND COWBOY Tanner Green TOP SCORES

But his perseverance paid off with the biggest win of his career at the SheridanWYO Rodeo. “I’d been going for four or five years and struggled with staying healthy,” Jones said. “I’d been to Sheridan two or three times, so I knew what it was about. Just staying healthy is the biggest key in competing in these events with 128 of the best bulldoggers. Any day is anyone’s game, so you have to be on your toes, and every time you’re in the box, hope you drew a good one and you better connect.” The Colorado-native-turned-Kansas cowboy placed second in the first round with a 4.2-second run to help him win the average with 9.1 seconds on two head for $4,903 and valuable ProRodeo Tour points. It’s common for familiar faces at rodeos to include four-legged athletes, but that wasn’t the case for the steers Jones took to the ground. “That’s the first place I’d seen them, they were dead fresh,” said Jones, 28. “Fresh cattle makes it easier, well maybe not easier, but fun to score a bit and run them down.” Jones’ traveling partner and fellow bulldogger Dru Melvin played a part in Jones’ victory as his hazer and by lending him his horse, Nitro. “Dru’s done a good job on him,” Jones said. “Having someone you can trust as your hazer helps. We’ve got a good crew going with us (including Laine Herl and Richard Coats), which makes it good – it’s easier to win when you’re having fun.” Jones was the first in his family to rodeo as a high school freshman about 14 years ago while growing up on a ranch inMonte Vista, Colo. His best season came in 2016 when he won $13,061. Since, his only first-place finishes were at the San Patricio County PRCA Rodeo in Sinton, Texas, in February 2014 and the Apache (Okla.) Stampede in September 2016. “It’s always been a goal to succeed at the pro level,” Jones said. “To be able to do it, I’m pretty fortunate with all the support I have behind me. My wife (Brooke) and little girl (Breyer, 2) let me come out and do this and live my dream.” Now, he’s looking ahead to the 2020 season with his goal of finishing 2019 in the top 50. “Everyone’s goal is to make the NFR, but you have to keep working at it,” Jones said.

$2,341, tie-down roping and team roping BAREBACK RIDING

Green

1. Steven Dent ............................ 86 pts. 2. Kaycee Feild ............................... 85.5 3. Two tied at .................................. 84.5 STEER WRESTLING 1. Blair Jones .................... 9.1 sec. on 2 2. Joseph Buffington ........................ 9.5 3. Jule Hazen .................................... 9.8 TEAM ROPING 1. R. Minor/B. Minor ....... 10.8 sec. on 2 2. K. Schmidt/J. Buhler .................. 11.6 3. B. Hall/C. Tryan .......................... 12.2 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Stetson Wright .................... 86.5 pts. 2. Chet Johnson ............................. 85.5 3. Allen Boore .................................... 84 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Caleb Smidt ................ 17.9 sec. on 2 2. Cody McCartney ......................... 18.9 3. Tyson Durfey .............................. 19.5 STEER ROPING 1. Trevor Brazile .............. 68.6 sec. on 4 2. Cody Lee .................................... 78.9 3. Howdy McGinn ........................... 87.4 BULL RIDING 1. Jordan Spears ..................... 86.5 pts. 2. Parker McCown ............................. 83 3. Roscoe Jarboe .............................. 82

Complete results / Page 75

Eva Scofield photo

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ProRodeo Sports News 8/2/2019

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