ProRodeo Sports News - June 15, 2018

JAKE TRUJILLO

Double Dip

Steer wrestler Jake Trujillo set an arena record in 3.5 seconds at the Ute Mountain Roundup Rodeo in Cortez, Colo., which ran June 7-9.

Trujillo balances work and rodeo in Turquoise Circuit

Reed Settle photo

BY SCOTT KANIEWSKI T he weekend of June 7-9 turned out to be a big one for steer wrestler Jake Trujillo. Trujillo’s Rookie of the Year hopes took a big upswing when the Turquoise Circuit cowboy won both the Ute Mountain Roundup Rodeo in Cortez, Colo., and the Pioneer Days Rodeo in Clovis, N.M. Each win had a special significance for the 23-year-old from Los Alamos, N.M. Not only did he win in Cortez on a 3.5-second run, but he also set the rodeo record on his way to earning $1,608. He took home the win at Clovis, N.M., in 6.3 seconds, cashing in for $906 and a pair of spurs. More than two decades earlier, his dad, Patrick, won the same spurs at Clovis.

“His set is from 1997 and mine is from 2018,” Trujillo said. “It’s pretty cool. I’ve done that before (in a college rodeo). It’s cool being able to carry on the legacy, experience the same things.” While he’s sitting in fourth place in the PRCA | Resistol Rookie Standings as of June 14, Trujillo is also on the hunt for a circuit title. A year after finishing 23rd in the circuit standings while on his permit, the weekend’s back-to-back wins have him atop the Turquoise Circuit Standings with $4,502. “I think the biggest thing that runs through my mind is that I just have to keep working,” Trujillo said. “I’ve got to keep working, keep doing what I’ve been doing, stick to the basics. If you stick to the basics everything else will come.” MAKINGTHE CIRCUIT ROUNDS As with most cowboys, Trujillo would like to one day go full time on the

ProRodeo Sports News 6/15/2018

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