ProRodeo Sports News - March 29, 2024

BY BRADY RENCK, Special to ProRodeo Sports News J esse Boos and Jace Steenhoek read the fine print for the first time and the letters looked like opportunity and money. After an uneven season with different partners, Boos and Steenhoek paired together late in 2023 and entered the PRCA Permit Finals in October in Waco, Texas. They aimed to finish strong, realizing they were lucky to get a berth because there were some unexpected openings. Then, they discovered there was another prize at stake. “One of our buddies told us it was a qualifier. Sure enough, I got to reading the rules and there it was,” Steenhoek said. “We wanted to knock it out and see what the cards held for us.” Boos and Steenhoek did their part, winning the team roping with a time of 18.4 seconds on three head. The prize? An automatic berth to RodeoHouston, one of the most coveted winter events reserved for the top performers from the previous season. “It was hard to believe. We got to rope against the best guys,” Boos said. “It was a heck of an opportunity for first-year card buyers like us.” Added Steenhoek, “It was a great opportunity. It was unexpected and gave us both a great start on our rookie year after being on permits for two years.” Boos, 21, and Steenhoek, 24, boast a long history with rodeo. Boos began when he was around 12. Steenhoek was in sixth grade when he caught the bug. They knew each other from amateur rodeos, and they competed in jackpots together. So, they were comfortable together even if they lacked experience. But this was something else entirely. RodeoHouston is the largest livestock exhibition and rodeo in the world. NRG Stadium is home to the NFL’s Houston Texans and March Madness. This wasn’t a neighborhood event. “It was completely different change from anything I have ever been to. It’s so big,” said Boos, who calls Kearney, Mo., home these days. Butterflies in the stomach? Try pterodactyls. “We were pretty dang nervous, I am not going to lie to you,” said Steenhoek, who is from Bagley, Iowa. “You get in that arena, and you don’t even want to look up. It’s scary.” Boos and Steenhoek took a deep breath and quickly found their bearings. They were the first pair out and stayed in the mix, placing fifth. Then came back-to-back third-place finishes to advance to the semifinals. “After that first run, I started to relax,” Boos said. “Winning a little day money gave us a chance to relax a little bit,” Steenhoek said. Suddenly, the duo went from a feel-good story to having a chance to win $50,000. They put together the type of performances that validated their hard work and good fortune. In the end, Boos and Steenhoek tied for seventh and won roughly $12,000, placing ahead of some former world champions. It has provided rocket fuel for their 2024 season, letting them know they belong on this stage. It was also quite the experience. One they will never forget. “Once we learned that we could go to RodeoHouston, we dropped everything to get there. And it was amazing, everything we hoped for,” Steenhoek said. As the pair traveled down the road to the next rodeo, Boos tried to put what unfolded in perspective. “It is really hard to believe what happened,” Boos said. “I learned a lot from talking to the guys down there. It was such a different setup than we were used to. But to be able to compete, to take advantage of the opportunity, it has given us so much confidence going forward.” Team ropers Boos/Steenhoek win Permit Finals to get into RodeoHouston, win $12K Permit Power PRORODEO COWBOYS

RodeoHouston photo/Mallory Beinborn

Heeler Jace Steenhoek, left, and his partner/header Jesse Boos turned some heads at RodeoHouston earning $12,000 each. The duo qualified for the lucrative rodeo by winning the Permit Finals in Waco, Texas, in October.

ProRodeo Sports News 3/29/2024

ProRodeo Sports News 3/29/2024

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